The California Trip
by Aimers
Summary: Harry and Co. go to CA after having lousy 5th years. sun and surf cheer up them up, see each other in bathing suits; but can they handle the heat? Some dude is out to get them, some other dude gets Harry in trouble with the ladies. Lots of Cheese!
1. Hermione Gets the Inspiration

            As Harry, Hermione, and Ron parted from Platform 93/4, each hoped that two months ahead of them would be much better than the school term they were leaving behind.  Their fifth year at Hogwarts had not been an easy one.  

One week later…

            Hermione was sitting in the waiting room of her parent's dental office.  She was flipping through the pages of "Moody and Magical" a teen magazine for witches, of course she had put another muggle magazine cover over it; her parent's treated muggle's teeth.  

An advertisement caught her eye:

"Was Your School Year Lousy?  I'll bet it was!  Do you want to go to Hollywood?  I'll bet you do!  Send us a two foot long sob story about your school year and the winner (or should we say loser?!) will win a trip to San Diego, which is just two hours south of Los Angeles, but still has beaches, just no movie stars!  

"Wow" thought Hermione, "my year was lousy!  I got knocked out, Ron was _still oblivious … You know. I could win this thing.  This is just what I need. To get away, have a dream vacation!"_

And sure enough, two weeks later…

            Hermione looked up from her breakfast table to see an owl swoop down and drop a package into her lap.  The owl flew promptly away, and Hermione had ripped open the letter just as fast.

"Congratulations, Hermione Granger! Your fifth year at Hogwarts was horrible!  The worst in England!  For your trip to San Diego, which is near L.A. and still fun, we promise, you and three friends should be at the corner of 5th street and Hunkler Road at 11 pm in three days.  There you will meet a witch wearing a green and pink hat.  She will give you the instructions for your travel accommodations.  Bring your passports and the enclosed signed permission slips to the meeting.  And again, Congratulations!

            Hermione was ecstatic.  She had won! She was going south of Los Angeles! She could take a day trip there, maybe take some pictures, get some autographs…

"Oh, wait a minute, I haven't invited anyone yet" Hermione thought, "I was so wrapped up in my trip. I'd better go tell my parents, and then tell Harry, Ron, and a third person, maybe Ginny; it'd be nice to have another girl along.  Boy talk is just not the same."

Hermione ran into the living room where her parents were reading.  "Mom, Dad, I won a magic essay contest and I get to California for the rest of the summer!  So, um, can I go?" 

Her parents did not look as happy at the news as Hermione did.

"Hermione, we never get to see.  You are always off in that other world."  Her mother said.

"We understand that it's a fun world.  But muggles have fun too you now." Her dad added.

"But this is a once in a lifetime thing!  Even muggles want to go California.  Can I go if I promise to go to some muggle amusement parks?  You know, Disneyland, Universal Studios…" Hermione was already thinking of her plans, she hadn't counted on her parents objecting, and she knew that they would give in.  They were so fascinated by the magic world that they always let Hermione participate in it as much she liked.

"Don't forget Seaworld and the zoo.  Muggles love animals."  Her mom said.

"Yes we do.  We love animals." Her dad added.

"So then I can go!"  Hermione tried to sound surprised at their concession.

"Of course sweetie.  Have fun and wear sunscreen."  Her mom said.

"At least spf 30!" Her dad added.

Hermione rushed upstairs to her bedroom.  She wrote the three copies of the following letter…

Dear Harry, Ron, and Ginny

Guess what?  I won an essay contest on the worst school year ever!  And since you three had horrible years too, and since you're my best friends, I'd like to invite you to join me on a trip to California!  Fill out the permission slips, and meet me at the time and place that it says.  And pack lightly; we are going to want to fill up the extra room in our suitcases with stuff from our California shopping sprees! 

Love, Hermione

She sent out the letters and immediately began making a list of everything she wanted to do on her dream vacation. 


	2. Are You Sure About This?

            The day that Ron and Ginny received the owl from Hermione was a pretty dull one.  But that was pretty much how the whole summer had been for the two of them, what with living in an empty house and having an overall feeling of gloom hanging over everything.

            Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were always away working for the order, and so were Bill and Charlie.  Percy was still living in London.  He hadn't apologized to the family, even though Mrs. Weasley had called and given him plenty of invitations to come home.  Fred and George were living at home, but they were gone all day, too, working at their joke shop.

            So it was just Ron and Ginny all day long at the Burrow.  But it was pretty good, considering.  At least they weren't living at Sirius's old house.  That place has always felt like a house of death.  And now that the owner was dead, Dumbledore thought that it would be best to keep the children away from such an unhappy place.

            "So, do you want to play Quidditch again today?"  Ron asked Ginny as they ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for breakfast.  They had them for lunch and dinner too on the really lazy days.  

            "Sure.  I could always use the shooting practice.  And you sure need the goalie practice."  Ginny replied.

            But as they stood up, leaving their dirty dishes on the table, of course, an owl swooped down and landed right on Ron's dirty plate.  It dropped off two identical notes and flew away, sprinkling crumbs on the floor.  

"Well, I'm not cleaning up after some owl." Ron said, "Hey, what do the notes say."

"Well, one is for you, and one is for me, and they are both from Hermione." Ginny said, handing Ron his copy.

They both read. 

Ginny finished first, but waited until Ron looked up before she shrieked in delight!

"CALIFORNIA!  Oh how _wicked!_  Dad told me about that place.  He said muggles are _obsessed with it!  Oh I can't wait!  How nice of Hermione to think of me!"_

"Yeah, I can't wait to go to the beaches!" Ron exclaimed.  "I want to surf.  I'd bet I'd be a natural."

"Shopping!  Disneyland!  Oh I need to go tell Dean!"  Screamed Ginny, as she raced off to tell her boyfriend.  

Ron rolled his eyes.  They had been owling each other twice a day all summer.  It was really getting annoying. 

Meanwhile, Harry had just received his note.

He had been lying on the lawn in the Dursley's backyard when the owl came swooping down.

"Whoa!  Way to go Hermione!" Harry shouted out loud when he read the news.

Aunt Petunia came rushing outside.  "Keep it down, Harry. We don't want to draw _any_ attention to you!" she hissed.  

"Don't worry, Aunt Petunia, I won't be around much more to disrupt your lives.  I'm going to California."

"What?"

"I was invited.  Now, if you'll sign here and here." Harry said as he handed her the permission form. 

Aunt Petunia was too scared of Harry and the gang of wizards she had met at the train station after Harry returned from school to voice any of her objections.  She signed the form with an angry, jealous look on her face, thus allowing Harry have a dream vacation. 

So, three days later, on the corner of 5th street and Hunkler Road at 11 pm…

"Harry!" Hermione called as she rushed to hug him.  "You made it!"

As they were pulling away from the hug, Ron and Ginny rounded the street corner.

"Oh Ron! Ginny!  Everyone is here now!" Hermione ran and first gave Ron a hug.  She lingered in his arms for a moment, and then turned to give Ginny a welcoming hug as well. 

"So, Hermione, was your school year really that bad?" Ron asked, smiling.

"Yeah, and you should know.  Fifth year was bad for all of us." Hermione responded.

"uh _huh! and it was only my fourth!" Ginny said._

Harry laughed at Ginny's little outburst.  She smiled appreciatively.     

            Just then a witch wearing a green and pink hat, just like the letter said, Apparated next to the group. 

"One you must be Hermione," the green and pink hatted witch said immediately in very business like tone.

"Yes, I'm Hermione.  I had the worst school year ever."

"I know you did!  Have you all got permission slips and passports?"

"Yes" the four of them in unison as they handed it to the witch, who verified their authenticity and then returned only the passports.

"For budget reasons, your dream vacation will be in what we like to call the mug-magic style, a combination of muggle and magical activities."  She said as she handed out travel brochures.  "You will be staying in a rented muggle beach house, but your tour guide and chaperone will be a wizard."

"Can underage wizards use magic in America?" Harry asked.

"Well, the legal age is 18, and none of you are 18, But American muggles can drive at age 16.  Maybe your chaperone can whip up some drivers licenses and get you four on the road!" the witch said, "You will be traveling by portkey to the shores of England, and then by rowboat to New York City.  You have a 6 hour layover in New York, and then you can take an invisible hippogriff directly to the beach house in San Diego."

"Are you sure that's going to work?" Asked Hermione; She was starting to regret not having done more research on the company before entering this contest. 

"Of course it will.  I planned the whole thing."  The witch said.  

            She reached into her purse and pulled out a broken ballpoint pen.  "This pen is your portkey.  It is set to leave tomorrow at noon.  When you arrive at the seashore, your rowboat guide will be a big fat man named Biff.  Have fun, and be sure to hold onto all your luggage when you use the portkey.  You don't want to arrive in California and realize that you forgot your fake tanning potion!"  And without even waiting to answer Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's questions about this flimsy travel plan, the green and pink hatted witch Disapparated. 

"Hermione, what was that?" Harry asked.  He was feeling a little nervous about this trip.

"I don't know.  I was really excited to go; I didn't really look into any details about the company."  Hermione said, as she flipped through the brochure on mug-magic travel to hide her embarrassment.

"Oh, don't worry.  I'm sure people cross the Atlantic in rowboats all the time." Joked Ron.

"Yeah, and an invisible hippogriff, how are we going to find it?" Ginny questioned, as she read the paragraph in the brochure about much fun it is to play 'muggle' while on vacation.

"Well, guys, this the trip.  We can either go ahead with it and hope we end up on the beaches, or we can sit around for two months, grieving and worrying about Voldemort.  I personally want to try this out, whether we end up in California or not, the adventure is sure to be the more fun than hanging around the Dursley's."  Harry said.  He had had the toughest year, and any distraction from the real world was welcomed.

"Harry's right.  Let's give it a try." Ron said.

"Alright.  So, let's meet at the Burrow tomorrow to catch the portkey, if that's ok, Ron," Hermione asked.

"It's fine.  We won't be disrupting anyone. Nobody's ever there." 

"California, here we come!" Yelled Ginny, putting into words the excitement and anticipation everyone felt on that dark street corner.


	3. A Shaky Start

The next day at the Burrow, just before noon,

"Is everybody holding onto their luggage?" Hermione asked.  

"Oh, you should talk Hermione," Ron said.  He had only one suitcase, as did Harry.  Ginny had two.  Hermione, the one who told everyone else to pack lightly, had three full suitcases, and a fourth one that was empty:  to be filled with purchases.

Hermione opened her mouth to defend her excess baggage, when Harry, who was used to Ron and Hermione's useless fights, interrupted.

"Guys, it's almost time to use the portkey."  Harry said, "Everybody, grab a hold of the pen."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny each put a finger on the pen, and waited.  

And waited.

"It's five minutes past twelve." Ginny said nervously.  "Do you think there was a mix up?"

"Well, let's hang onto to it for a little longer.  Maybe the company's clock is a little slower than ours."  Hermione said.  She was not giving up her dream vacation this easily. 

Sure enough, two minutes later, they each felt a lurch at their belly button.  They were jerked out of the Burrow and dropped on to the sandy English sea shore.

"Well, that wasn't too bad." Ron said.  

"Yeah, it was just a shaky start." Harry agreed.

"Hi! I'm Biff!" said a big, fat man wearing a blue striped shirt and a straw hat, "Are you four lookin' to sail to New York?" 

"Yes.  We are the contest winners."  Hermione said.

"Sure you are.  Well, let's get going." Biff said with a wave of his hand, "Follow me."

They followed Biff down to waters edge, all the while carrying their luggage.  This was not easy, as they were not allowed to use magic outside of school to bewitch their trunks to make them lighter.

They walked to a tiny dock that was very far down the shore.  There were only four boats parked there.  And of course, Biff led them to the most sinkable looking one.  

"Are you sure that thing can carry us?"  Ron asked Biff.

"Of course it can.  I built it myself."

"Have you ever sailed it all the way across the Atlantic?" Hermione asked.

"Well, no, but I've got a map. I'm sure I can find the coast.  It's pretty big target."  Biff chuckled at his own words.

The four of them looked at each other.  All very nervous.  

"Let's load the luggage, shall we?"  the luggage was piled up high and tied to together with a rope.  

Then they all began to climb in.  At first, each of the children had hoped the boat would have been magically expanded, like some of the cars wizard's use.  But they all found out very soon that this hunk of wood Biff was calling a rowboat was just as cramped as it looked.

"How are we supposed to sit like this for the entire trip?  It's been ten seconds and I'm hurting already!"  Ron complained

"Yeah, I'm having a bad feeling about this mug-magic style of vacationing." Ginny remarked.  

"Just give it a chance, come on, think of the beaches, think of the shopping, think of the movie stars..."  Harry pleaded.

"Oh, no Harry, we are going to San Diego, not Los Angeles.  No movie stars there."  Hermione corrected him.

"Oh.  Well maybe we could take some day trips." 

Biff climbed in last and scrunched in between Harry and one of Hermione's suitcases.  He pulled out two big, wood oars. 

And he started to row.

At first the pace seemed to be normal for a rowboat.  But then Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny each started to notice that they were moving too fast. Much too fast for one man to row.

"Hey Biff, how are you rowing so fast?" Harry finally asked the question that had been forming on all of their minds.

"These oars aren't the muggle kind.  They are top of the line water pushers from Water Wizards, made special to look like the muggle kind.  I had to get them engraved with my name on it; I kept mixing them up with_ real_ muggle oars.  In fact, one time I grabbed the wrong ones on the day I had to row the Minister of Magic to Greenland. Oh boy, was that awful.  I had to make whooshing sounds with my mouth to make it seem like we were going faster."  Biff said.  

They were moving so fast that the wind prevented them from speaking to each other. They forgot all about their seating discomfort as the oars magically pumped miles and miles of ocean behind them.   

Until remarkably, just two hours after they left England…

"Wow!  There's the statue of liberty!" Ginny exclaimed as she pulled a camera out of her pocket, "Everybody Smile!"  She took a great picture of Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Biff; each with wind blown hair and huge smiles.  

They had made it to America!

Now they had to make it through Customs…

            Biff pulled up to a dock that had materialized between two muggle ones.  This new one had its own special Magic Customs.  A security wizard came immediately to check up on them.

"So, you've just arrived here, is that right?  Where from?" The guard asked.  He was a clean shaven man wearing a clean uniform, and carrying a polished clipboard.  

"Yes sir.  We came from England."  Biff said.  "These four are here for a vacation to California."

"Alright, are you staying in America as well?"

"No I just rowed the boat."  

"Oh alright, well, you can turn around whenever you like.  The four of you should take your luggage, put it on the first moving security thing and then pass through the metal detector.  Once, you've done that, retrieve your luggage and put it on the second moving security thing, and then answer some questions.  Then put your luggage on the last moving security thing, and show your passports to the old lady behind the desk.  Then just get your bags again, pass through one more metal detector, just to be safe, and you'll be on your merry way!"

Customs didn't take as long as they'd dreaded.  The questions were rather simple, "Are you a Dark Wizard?  Have you ever been a Dark Wizard?  Are you sure?"  The moving security things sped the luggage right along and the metal detectors were a piece of cake.  

"Now how do we find the hippogriff?" Ginny asked the group.

They all looked to Hermione, who had as little of a clue as the rest of them.

"Let's ask somebody."  Hermione turned around and looked for anybody to ask.

She found a security witch with black hair, about thirty years old standing at the entrance to the Customs building and walked over to her.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Hermione said politely to the woman.

"yes?" She said, turning around to face Hermione. 

"We are supposed to catch an invisible Hippogriff to California.  I was wondering where we should go to find him."

"Oh, it'll find you."

"Really?  So can we just wander around the city?"  

"Oh yes, I'd recommend that.  I love your accent by the way.  English, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I knew it!  I am so good at this!"

Hermione just smiled and thanked her, then returned to Ron, Harry, and Ginny.

"According to her, the hippogriff will find us."

"So does that mean we have only six hours to see New York?!" Ginny screeched.

"Let's move." Ron said, as he began to run towards the big towers.

"Oh, wait, the luggage!" Hermione said.

"I've got it, don't worry." Harry said, he went back inside the Customs building and came out with a medium sized red purse.  "I noticed they were selling these at vending machine while I was getting my passport stamped.  You can fit almost anything inside of them and they always weigh as light as a feather. However, it _did cost Ten Oggles."_

"Ten _what?"  Ron asked._

"Oggles are American Wizard money.  1.5 Oggles is 1 Galleon."   Hermione explained.  

Harry passed around the purse and they all stuffed their luggage into it. 

It still weighed just as light as a feather as the gang crossed the street into New York City.  


	4. Feet in the Pacific

But just as they reached the majestic skyscrapers bustling streets of New York City, a pigeon fly overhead and dropped something on Hermione.

"Ewww!  Ewww!  Get it off!  Get it off!"  shrieked Hermione sa she began to shake her head furiously.  "Stupid Pigeons!  Couldn't you have waited two more inches before you dropped it!"

"Relax, RELAX!  Chill Out Herm!  It wasn't what you think!  It was a piece of parchment that fell on your head.  That must have been a carrier pigeon."  Ron said, he was trying to sound reassuring, but he was seconds away from laughter.  

Ginny and Harry were already cracking up.  Hermione had thrown a fit over carrier pigeon!  This was a moment to remember!

As Hermione regained composure, she was obviously very high strung.  She needed to get to California quick.  The hectic travel schedule was getting her down.

Ron bent down and picked up parchment from the street.  It had fallen off of Hermione's head during her brief melt down.

"This parchment is from the Flying Hippogriff Travel Agency.  It's a letter.  It says,  

            Dear Hermione Granger and Three of Her Friends,

            We are pleased to hear that you have arrived in New York for your

             six hour layover.  You should meet your Hippogriff at 8 pm at our 

            main terminal.  We depart from JFK airport.  We understand that 

            you might want to use the extra one or two hours to walk around New 

            York, but we do have a company policy that makes all costumers wait 

            at least four hours before they can depart, and we wouldn't want to 

            have to postpone your flight to sunny San Diego.  

                        Best Wishes,

                        The Flying Hippogriff Travel Agency"

"Well that's a bummer."  Harry said.

'Yeah, but if we go now we can make it to airport, wait for the four hours, and leave on time.  If we get there late, we'll depart late.  And I want to hit the beaches now!"  Ginny said.

"Ok, so Hermione, are you fine with this?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, whatever."  Hermione said, still a little shaken from the pigeon incident.

            It took them a long time to find JFK airport.  They used the muggle subway system, which is the most confusing thing if you're not used to it.  They had to ask several people for directions, most of them were very nice and patient, but all the same, they reached the entrance to the airport just in time.

            When they walked inside the huge building, Ginny noticed a magical picture of a hippogriff hanging on the walls.  

"Guys, look at that sign, it'll tell us how to get to the terminal."  Ginny said.  They walked over to the picture.  

Underneath the hippogriff, the poster said, "Magical Waiting room can be accessed by using the second stall in either the men's or women's bathroom on this floor.  Just for your curiosity, muggles can't see this sign; they see you staring at a wall."  

"ok, lets find the restrooms." Hermione said.  

            The restrooms were very easy to find.  Harry and Ron went in to the men's, and Ginny and Hermione into the women's.  

            In both of the restrooms, the second stall had an out of order sign.  In the men's room, Harry went first.  He sat on down on the toilet, but nothing happened.  Then he got an idea.  He flushed it.  Suddenly he was sucked down into the bowl, but he didn't get wet.  The next thing he knew, he was sitting on the floor of the most beautiful airport terminal he had ever seen.  

            Ron, Ginny, and Hermione each quickly fell to the floor in the terminal beside Harry after they'd each flushed themselves.

            The room had high, glass ceilings.  The walls were a mosaic forming patterns of bright colors.  Looking outside the windows they could see a large grass field surrounded by a wooden fence.  Harry assumed there were hippogriffs out there, but that they were invisible, of course.

            The time was around 4 o'clock.  They had exactly four hours to wait.  Hermione bought the latest issue of "Moody and Magical."  Ron bought a sports magazine to read about the American sport, Quadpot, that he had heard about in _Quidditch_ Through the Ages_.   Ginny bought "Teen Witch Vogue" and Harry bought American wizard candy.  _

Finally, after four hours of reading, eating, and no sleeping…

"Granger.  Party of Four to San Diego."  Came the voice over the loudspeaker.

"Wahooo!  We are finally going there!  This is the last stage of the trip!"  Hermione was _way excited.   _

The followed the signs, which led to a staircase that took them outside.  There, an airport employee led them to their hippogriffs.  Or at least to a spot on the grass where the employee told them there were hippogriffs.

"Alright, there are to hippogriffs.  So, you go to that one," he said, pointing to Harry and Ginny.  "And you two on the one over there."  He said to Ron and Hermione. "Now you need to bow to them first.  To show respect."

They knew this already, from Hagrid's lessons in their third year.  But still, they were confused.  How could they tell what direction to bow in.  And they couldn't see if the hippogriff would bow back. 

"We can't see where they are, sir."  Harry said.

"Oh, with these you just have to bow in their general direction.  They are used to tourists." 

So Harry and Ginny bowed to their right, Ron and Hermione bowed to their left.  

"Alright, now just put your hands out, and walk around. You'll feel them eventually."

So, feeling very stupid, they each put their arms out and walked around the grass.  It was getting dark out, so they felt and looked like zombies. 

Ron hit one first.  Actually. He was moving foot out to take another step, when he kicked it.  "Hey, Hermione, it's over here!"  Hermione was relieved to hear his words.  She felt so stupid wandering around looking for an invisible animal.

Ginny hit hers next.  "Harry, I got it!"

Getting on to the hippogriff was funny.  Even Hermione had to laugh at herself as she tried to swing her leg around it.  Once Hermione was seated, she was told to wrap her arms around Ron as if she were riding a motorcycle.  Hermione blushed, thankful that it was getting dark out, and that Ron was in front of her, and therefore couldn't see her face.  

Ginny sat behind Harry.  She wasn't being bashful; she already had a boyfriend, and didn't like Harry in that way anymore.  Or at least, that's what she told herself.

Once they were all situated on their hippogriffs.  The airport employee blew a whistle and they began to lift of into the air.  

"Wow!"  said Harry, "it's like we're flying!"

"Yeah, except we can feel the hippogriffs." Ron yelled back.

It was amazing to fly over New York City.  They couldn't see the hippogriff, so there was nothing beneath them to obscure the view.

            Things began to get blurry as they were leaving the city lights behind them.  The wind speed began to pick up as the hippogriffs accelerated faster than they knew hippogriffs could fly.   Each of them just figured that these Hippogriffs were special; that they were somehow extremely faster than the average hippogriff.  They were right.  These hippos were incredibly speedy.  

After an hour, things became more focused.  The lights on the ground grew bigger.  Way off in the horizon, there were no lights at all, just smooth surface that looked black in the moonlight.  It was the Pacific Ocean.  

The hippogriffs descended very quickly, but very carefully. None of them felt at all unsafe on the backs of these invisible creatures. 

After a while, they noticed which house they were headed for.  The coast was lined with big, beautiful, expensive houses.  But the one they seemed to be headed for was obviously built before the area became a real estate hot spot.  It was a single story beach home.  Painted what looked in the moonlight like light blue.

They landed on the sand in front of this humble house.  

They jumped off the backs of the hippogriffs, and all of them, without speaking, knew what they wanted to do first.  

They took off their shoes.  Harry dropped the medium sized red purse he had been carrying that had all their luggage in it.  They rolled up the bottom of their pants past their knees, and ran toward the water.

            The first time your toes hit the ocean is exhilarating.  It's icy, it's crisp.  Your entire mind and body wakes up when you come in contact with such an amazing power.

            Though it was night outside, the air wasn't too cold.  Their feet adjusted to the temperature of the ocean very quickly.  

            Ron was the first one to kick the waves.   A large splash resulted, leaving drops of cool ocean water on their jet-lagged bodies.  It was the perfect moment;  Playing in the shallow waves, on an empty beach, with your best friends in the entire world.  It doesn't get better than this. 


	5. Dude!

"Ooooooh!  Harry got you good on that last splash!" Hermione giggled at Ginny as she reached down to splash more water on Ginny.

"What is this?  Pick on Ginny day?"  Ginny was laughing too though, as they all were getting wet, not just her.

Hermione had picked a bad time to reach down toward the water, she wasn't paying attention to the ocean and was caught off guard by a small wave that knocked her off her feet.

"AAAAAAHHHH!"  I'm all wet!"  Hermione shrieked, though she stood up with a smile.  The ocean wasn't too bad; and though she was tired to the bone, she suddenly felt more alive than she had felt so far this sleepy summer.

"Hermione, you had that coming!" Ron was smiling, too.  Hermione looked cute with wet clothes and hair.  Her hair was messier than usual.  He had never seen her this vibrant or this silly before.

"So do you, Ron" Hermione stretched out her arm and knocked him in. 

            Harry looked away from the two of them, who were now both sitting on the ocean floor, letting the waves wash over their backs.  He turned to notice Ginny, who was now kicking up water with her feet, not aiming it at anyone, just watching the drops fall into patterns on the sand.  

            Harry wondered why she didn't like him anymore.  He had known that when they were younger, Ginny had had a huge crush on him.  He wondered, as he watched her dig her toes into the mud, what made her have a change of heart.  

            Suddenly, a shadowed figure coming out of the beach house called to them, interrupting their ocean fun.   "Hello down there!  One of you must be Hermione Granger, the contest winner!  I was told you'd be gettin' here about now!"

The four of them stopped their thoughts and splashing to look at the thin middle aged man as he came closer.  

"Yes, I'm Hermione" she didn't stand up though, she was hoping he'd go away so she could play in the waves with Ron some more.  Plus, once she had remembered why she was here, what she was escaping, she remembered how tired she was.

 "Well, Congratulations, that must have been one lousy school year for them to fly you all the way out here."  

He swaggered closer until his toes were getting run over by the cool waves.  He stopped moving, and rested his hands on top his head.    

"My name is Charlie Plunk.  I live in that blue house.  That's where you four will be staying, too.  It's a pretty nice location, if I do say so myself.  I get offers daily form millionaires trying to buy it.  They want to build a nice mansion on it.  But no, I always say. I've lived in this house for thirty years, ever since I got kicked out of England.  Well, that's a long story.  Anyway, I like it here.   I usually rent it out over the summer; I make the big bucks doing that.  But this summer, I was offered to be paid to stay here with you guys, and I took it!"    

Charlie sure was a talker.  The four of them had listened to every word, but still, they looked at each other when he'd finished, all thinking, "Who _is this guy?  Is he seriously in charge around here?"_

"Well," Charlie continued, "I noticed you only have one piece of luggage.  Is that it or  are you guys doing some sort of magic thing.  I don't really do magic anymore.  I only use my wand for plastic surgery.  Anyway, if it is your only piece of luggage, I know of some quick ways to get money so you guys can buy more stuff."

"No, no, it's magic.  It's a magic medium sized purse.  I bought it in New York.  You can fit anything in it."  Harry explained.

"Oh, right."  Charlie didn't continue talking; he stared out past the four of them, assessing the waves.  His hands were still resting on his head, and he had one knee bent, looking very comfortable.  His absence of words was unexpected and left a heavy silence. 

"Right, I'm getting a little cold.  We should go inside.  You know, sleep a little."  Ron said.  He stood up from the waves, and then reached to help Hermione do the same.  

The four them walked toward the beach house.  Harry picked up the medium sized red purse. 

The front door opened to reveal wood floors covered by several, colorful rugs.  The furniture was a mix of wood and stainless steel.  The room was an odd mixture of clutter and empty space..  The house was disorganized.  Nothing really matched, and nothing really was sparkling clean.  It was the kind of house that you had to get used to living in.  

  "I've got two extra bedrooms.  So, I'm going to say boys in one and girls in the other.  No funny business.  The bathroom is down the hall near the bedrooms.  I'll let you four get settled.  Are you hungry?"

They hadn't thought about it before, because they had been on an invisible hippogriff for goodness sake, who's going to think about food?  But, yeah, now that their minds were drawn to it, they were starving.

"Yes!" yelled Ron.  

"Oh, well I don't cook.  I'll order a pizza.  Does anybody have topping requests?"

"Just cheese."  Ginny said.

"I like pepperoni."  Ron said.

"Oh I don't like pepperoni.  I like it with bell peppers."  Hermione said.

"I prefer olives."  Said Harry.

"Um, ok, I'll get two pizzas, with half toppings on each."  Charlie said, as he turned to pick up the phone.

"Oh wicked!  Is that a TELEPHONE?!"  Ron cried.  

"Uh huh," said Charlie, looking confused.  

"Whoa.  Can I watch you use it?"

"Oh I get it, you're from a pure wizard family.  Do you just want to make the call yourself?"

"No, I'd be too scared.  I think I'd better watch the first time."

"Ha ha! Dude, you crack me up."  Charlie said, as he dialed.

Ron grinned, and turned to Harry, "He said I'm a DUDE!"

They pulled their luggage from the purse, which was a lot harder than stuffing it in.  Everything was very hard to see inside the thing.  Ginny and Ron stared in awe as Hermione held a flashlight so Harry could see. 

"What will these muggles think of next?" said Ginny as played with the spare batteries. 

Hermione and Ginny pulled their things into a room with a bunk bed.  ("I got top bunk" yelled Hermione)  Ron and Harry found their room to have two air mattresses.  

Each room had a window, though they did not face the ocean.  Instead they had few of their neighbor's garage; which didn't look too much different at night. 

The pizza guy came; Charlie let Ginny count out the dollars to give to him; which she had difficulty doing because the money was foreign _and muggle. _

"Come on Ginny, it's not like its calculus!"  Charlie said as she tried to tell apart the one from the twenty dollar bills.

 "Wow, you know calculus!  I never got to learn that at school.  All of my muggle friends say it's the best!"  Hermione asked.

"Well, it is pretty inteGREAT!  Haha, get it?"

"No."  Hermione said,

"Well, I love math jokes, but I guess they can DERIVE you crazy!"  Charlie was laughing to himself.  

"Man, we got stuck with a _nerd!"  Harry whispered to Ron._

"Who, Charlie or Hermy?" Ron joked.

At the dinner table, they ate and found out that Charlie was very easy to get along with. 

"We've got a brother whose name is Charlie also!"  Ron said.

"Well, I do too.  My mom though it would be funny.  Boy is she a nut-case."  Charlie rolled his eyes at the memory.  

The phone rang as they were loading the dishwasher. Charlie picked it up.  They could only hear one end of the conversation, but it sounded like Charlie had just made a deal for them.  When he hung up, he turned back to the four of them who were now sitting on the couch.  

"That was a very fortunate phone call.  Some guy named Silas is holding a surf came and was wondering if I'd be interested.  Well, I'm not, but I signed up you four.  You can start tomorrow."

The camp sounded fun.  They all wanted to surf, but it seemed a bit a odd for a guy to be calling so late at night to a stranger about a surf camp the next day.   But, they figured maybe people in California are used to that.  

That night they all went to sleep immediately after falling into their beds.  They were so exhausted.  They also couldn't wait to fall asleep because the sooner they did, the sooner they would wake up, and the sooner they woke up, the sooner they could start having fun in the sun!


	6. Exposure

            The girls were the first ones up the next morning.  The sun came into their room through the window and hit Hermione's eyes as she slept on the top bunk.  The noise she made as she climbed down the ladder woke up Ginny.

"Is it morning already?"  Ginny mumbled.

"Yes!  It's morning in California!"  Hermione said very perkily.

"OOOOOH!  Let's wake the boys!" 

Some time later that morning, after everyone was awake ("Geez, Ginny, I would have got up on my own!"  "yeah, but you'd have got up, like, tomorrow.") and they had all eaten cold cereal for breakfast, Charlie made this announcement:  
  


"Surf lessons start in an hour.  Now that Silas guy said he'd provide the boards.  But, I think he's a muggle, so you won't be getting those new Hungby 500 Super Speed Surfboards.  Naw, not today anyway.  Besides, I personally prefer the muggle way of surfing.  It's more of an adventure, almost an art form.  You have to find and catch the wave all by yourself.  And the board doesn't balance itself, so you have to concentrate on that too.  Man, it's really fun.  It'll change your life.  Well, it will if you can stand up.  Otherwise surfing might just bruise you up a bit." 

Charlie paused talking for a second to swat a spider.  Ron turned very pale, and was relieved to see the creepy thing thrown out the window.

"What do we wear for surfing?"  Harry asked.

"Well, you guys will wear board shorts or swim trunks, and maybe a rash guard.  Girls you can wear any suit you'd like.  You can also wear Girl's board shorts and rash guards, too. It just depends on your style and what kind of image you want to have."

"Well, we only have bathing suits."  Ginny said, wishing she had more money to accomplish all shopping that needed to get done.

"Well, don't worry.  The pathetic tourist look is very easy to get.  You'll fit right it.  It gets more popular every summer.  Though many tourists like to blend in, and many locals like to let it go.  You really get quite a mix on the beach.  But I wouldn't wear a wetsuit today.  The water is 70, so you really don't need it. "

"70 degrees!"  Ron exclaimed.

"Fahrenheit, Ron.  This is America."  Hermione explained.

They all went to different rooms to change into their suits.  

            Harry wore a really horrible one.  They hit about half way down his thigh and were baggy.  Of course it had been passed down from Dudley.  It was faded red and the tie had been replaced by a piece of string.  The suit was altogether very unattractive and unflattering.  He looked like he had never been to the beach before in his life.  (he hadn't, but that's not the sort of thing you let on about.)  Harry was also very pale.  The English weather, plus being covered up in robes, and then oversize Dudley hand-me-downs hadn't given his skin much exposure.  His muscles were pretty alright though, he thought as flexed into the mirror.  Definitely had bigger muscles than Ron…

            Ron, who was at least wearing board shorts that hit the knee, had very scrawny arms.  He too was pale; red-heads generally come that way. He was also tall and lanky and did not really look like he belonged in a swim suit.   He really had nothing to show off.  His swim suit was a faded blue and white Hawaiian print, the kind of print that never really went completely out of style, but was never really hot.  However, he did have nice hair, he decided.  His red hair fell much smoother that Harry's, and it framed his face in a very nice way.  Speaking about great red hair…

            Ginny brushed out her mane, and thought to herself that it didn't look so silly after all.  It went well with her forest green bikini.  She too was pale, but that can be expected.  They only just arrived in California, and her skin tone was more of the burnable type.  She didn't really tan easily. Ginny was thin, but not scrawny.  She had enough on top to fill out her bikini, but not too much that she felt like she was hanging out.  In fact, she thought, as she turned to look at her rearview, I look hot…

            Hermione too, looked hot.  Although, when you are wearing a bikini, it's hard not to get noticed.    Hermione, however, was not as confident in her look as Ginny was.  Her bikini was blue.  She was tanner that the rest of them, but her hair was still that bushy brown color.  She needed to get in the ocean badly.  When your hair dries with the sun and the salt in it, over time, you get really nice natural highlights.  I need some of those badly, she thought.  I want to be blonder.  Hermione was thin also, though she had broader, more muscular shoulders than Ginny.  She also had more on top than Ginny, but still, it wasn't falling out.  Hermione however, kept noticing things like her un- highlighted hair, and her big shoulders, and her wide thighs, though she was just imagining those.

All four of them emerged from their changing rooms.  They kept their eyes down, until they were outside the house and onto the sandy shore.  They were surrounded by people on the crowded beach.  People of all different sizes, wearing all sorts of bathing suits, just waiting to be checked out, but the four of them were focused on each other.

"Wow, we need tans."  Said Harry, everyone laugh in agreement, and the tense mood broke.  They all pretended to watch the ocean, but they were really interested in stealing glances at each other.  Hogwarts robes had never left so much exposed.

            Harry pretended to be interested in a seagull that had flown behind Ginny, but let's face it; Harry couldn't t care less about the seagull.  It's just a dumb pooping machine anyway.  But how could he have never noticed Ginny before.  I mean, he knew she was nice and funny, but he had never really checked her out before.  What was it about her particular shade of pale skin that didn't make her look out of place on the beach?   Her absence of color almost was refreshing to look at.  After staring at Ginny for while, Harry realized that the seagull had long since flown away, and he immediately began to watch a body boarder do an excellent 360 turn.

            Ginny had noticed Harry watching her.  Sh ewasn't stupid.  She knew she looked pretty good.  What was puzzling was that Harry had seemed to be watching her like he had never seen her before. Does this mean that he… No she thought.  I don't even care anyway. It's not like the famous Harry would actually…Stop it! Ginny snapped out if it again.  She didn't want to go down that road again; but then why was he looking at her?  Hermione looked better.  Ginny looked over at Hermione and noticed that she and Ron were having another argument.  Those two!  Don't they understand each other yet?  Its been, what, six years.  Get it on already!

"Whoa, Hermione, where'd those come from?" Ron blurted.

"Ron!  I can't believe you!" Hermione shrieked, as she moved her arms to cover her chest, (she was also wearing a bikini top, just to clarify, they aren't in Europe, and you have to wear tops at most public beaches in California.) 

"What? Hogwarts robes really don't give you much to look at, so I'd never really noticed before." Ron was feeling stupider by the second.  How he have been so dumb.  You should never comment on a woman's body while she's in a bikini.  She's stressed enough as it is without trying to understand what he meant.

"Yeah, well Hogwarts robes cover you up pretty well, too.  But I guess that's an easy task; there really isn't that much muscle to cover." Hermione was confused now too, but angry still.  

"Are you calling me scrawny?"

"Scrawny.  That's a good word."  
"Ouch, Hermione.  That was a low blow.  I thought mine could at least be taken as a compliment, I mean, you do have nice, you know, nice, uhh.."  

"That's it. I'm putting on a shirt."  Hermione spun around to go back inside, but Ginny stopped her.  She knew, or at least, had accurately guessed, that Hermione liked Ron.  She also knew her brother, and knew that Ron was horribly shy about expressing his feelings.  

"Hermione, he really didn't mean to offend you.  He really likes you, you know." Ginny whispered.

"He likes me or he likes my body."

"He'd never seen it before now.  But I'd say now he likes both."   

"Really?"

"Yeah, just give him another chance.  Besides, don't you want to see what he says once you get wet?"  Ginny said, hoping to get Hermione to laugh a little.  It worked.

"Girl, you crack me up." Hermione was smiling again.

Charlie emerged from house just then to join them on the sand.  "Follow me guys, the surf camp is down on 21st street.  This beach is 18th.  But there short blocks, and we can walk on the hard sand.  It's easier than trying to move through the soft sand.  Your feet get stuck."

They all walked down the beach, Hermione and Ginny giggling a few paces behind them.  They were making it obvious to Ron and Harry that they were checking out the surfer guys.  "Whoa, I've never a board so big!"

When they got to the camp, a tall, thin man with black hair and blue eyes moved fomr under an umbrella to greet them.

"Hello, I'm Silas.   I run the camp.  What are your names?"

"Ron Weasley"

"Ginny Weasly"

"Ah, I should've guessed that you two were related!  You both have such striking hair!" Silas said, to the pleasure of Ginny and Ron.  Usually they got flak for having red hair.  It identified them as being Weasleys.  But here, nobody knew them.  And it really was  a nice color; especially in the sun.

"I'm Hermione Granger"

"Harry Potter"

Silas reacted very slightly to Harry's name, or had Harry just imagined it.  Harry usually always had people doing double takes hen he introduced himself.  Maybe he had just been expecting Silas to do one.  Besides, Silas was about as muggle as they come. 

'Alright, we'll start you on the long boards today, No not those, the foam ones.  You guys don't get fiberglass until you can stand up!"

As they got boards from the pile, Charlie waved goodbye and went back in the direction of his house.

"Now, before you can get in the water, you got to practice the pop up on land.  So lie down on your boards and move you arms like you are swimming.  Good, this is called paddling.  You need to do this you ever make it out past your waist."

Harry felt so embarrassed as he lay his stomach down on the board.  He had fought Voldemort!  HE didn't need to pretend paddle in the sand.  

"Good.  Now your paddling, paddling, paddling, you caught the wave, now twist your feet underneath you and stand up!"

They all tried.  Hermione feel over.  Ginny got up perfectly, Ron and Harry took to slow.

"No, you guys have to really pop!" Silas shouted.  There were other students at the camp as well, but we are not focusing on them right now.

After Silas was reasonably satisfied with their poppage.  He let them tie the leashes onto their feet.

"Remember, you want it go on whatever foot is your back foot when you stand up."

Then he turned them loose into the water.  


	7. Harry: In Trouble or on Top?

Whooooosh!  Ginny was knocked down by the first wave she took.  Although, I don't know if you could really call it a wave.  It was just the white wash after the wave had already broken, and it was only about a foot high.  She had caught it at least, but instantly fell of when she tried to pop up.  

Ron was having a little better luck.  He managed to get up on the board, but then he fell off too.

            Now, remember, surfing takes time and patience.  When you are learning it takes patience until you can stand up on the whitewash.  Then it takes patience until you can stand up on the face of the wave.  And then, once you are comfortable on the littler ones, it takes patience once you move out to where the waves are breaking.  

            Waves don't come all the time.  They come in sets, and sometimes the sets are very far apart.  So you have to wait for a set, and you may not even catch one of those waves. Or if it is crowded, you may have to let other surfers take the good waves if they have better positioning.  That's called surfer etiquette.  Simplified, it usually means that the surfer who could get the longest ride on the wave, has first priority.  It is very rude to drop in on somebody else's wave.  That could cause a rumble.  

            Harry had been hoping that surfing would come as naturally as flying had.  Flying was so easy for him, and it gave him such a rush.  He had heard that surfing can give you the same sort of elevation, and had been hoping he would feel it right away.

            But Harry found that in the muggle world, you have to start from the beginning.  He was riding the sissy waves along with all the other beginners.  

"I can't even stand up on a surf board!  What's with this?  I'm Harry Potter.  _The Harry Potter." He said jokingly to Ron._

"Yeah, well, the ocean doesn't know that."  Ron replied.  

Silas came over to their group.

"Hey, how's it going?  Have any of you stood up yet?" Silas said to all of them, but was looking at Harry.

"A little bit."  Harry felt that he should be the one to reply because Silas had seemed to address him specially.

 "Well, why you try going out to the bigger waves.  Some people find the little ones to slow to stand up on.  Do you want to try them now?"  Again, Silas seemed to be talking to Harry, but maybe he was just staring; Harry _was wearing a _very_ ugly bathing suit._

"Alright.  I'm sure the Pacific can serve of better waves than these inshore ones." Harry responded.

Ron didn't want to try the bigger waves yet, he wanted to get the standing part right first. Hermione had read too much about shark attacks to go deeper than her waist on her first day in the ocean.    
But Ginny was game.  Besides, she had noticed Silas's unusual attention to only Harry and not the rest of the surf camp.  Ginny was a little bit suspicious.

"I'd like to give it a try, too."  Ginny said. 

Silas looked at Ginny as if noticing her for the first time.  "Sweet.  Let's go."

Silas went and got his own board, which was not foam.  He walked back to the waves and Harry and Ginny followed him deeper.

Harry and Ginny were having trouble getting past the breakers.  Waves are harder to get past after they've broken; when it is big white wash.  Waves tend to crash in the around the same spot, this is the hardest part to get past.  Usually you wait until there is a little break between sets before you try to reach where the waves haven't broken yet (that's where you catch them), but Silas didn't tell them that.  So, Silas duck dived under them, while Harry and Ginny were getting worked.

"Ginny, here comes another wave!"  Harry yelled, Ginny had just barely come up from the last one she had been knocked by and was facing toward shore, and couldn't see the new one.  Harry let his board float behind him; the leash was still attached to his foot.  Ginny was only a few feet away, and Harry didn't know how strong of a swimmer she was.  Or if she knew that she could stand up here.  

            The wave came and Ginny ducked under it again. Harry, who had been standing, was knocked over.  They were both pulled down into the washing machine; which is really quite fun if you are not scared of the waves.  The washing machine is the turbulence under the crashing waves.  Harry was pulled all over the place, and at one point, his hand hit the sandy, shallow bottom.  Ginny did a complete front somersault under the wave, before it passed after only a couple seconds.  Waves move fast.  Harry's board leash jerked him back a little as the board was pushed by the wave, but it stayed floating on the surface next to Ginny's board.

"Ginny, stand up!  Are you ok?!"  yelled Harry.  Ginny was treading water after coming up from the washing machine.  Her face looked frightened and Harry was worried.

"Harry, come here!"  Her voice sounded shaky and Harry wouldn't have disobeyed her wish for anything.  

Harry checked to make sure that no waves were coming at them, and he moved over to Ginny.  Both their boards were floating near her.

"Harry, I'm going back to the wimpy waves, and you should too.  Silas is trying to get you killed!"  Ginny grabbed his arm and Harry went numb.  He couldn't move or speak for second.  

"Ginny, what?" Harry managed to mumble.

"He only speaks you when he talks, and a surf instructor should know that beginners shouldn't try the big waves until they are used to the ocean.  And he called Charlie's the night we got in for a camp the very next day.  It was like he had been planning it."  

"But I'm only known in England, right?  Plus, Silas is a muggle." Harry said, regaining his mind after hearing news like that.

"Maybe Silas knows English people.  And how do we know that he is a muggle? Charlie is a wizard, but you couldn't tell by the way he lives.  You should have checked with Dumbledore before you came!  Harry, your guard is down is down here, Voldemort could have spies or something here.  Silas could work for Voldemort!" Ginny said.

"I'll be careful Ginny, you don't have to worry about me.  But I really don't think that's true."

Ginny suddenly blushed and removed her hand from his shoulder.

"I was just being a good friend."  She said, not looking Harry in the eye anymore.

Harry didn't know what to say.  Ginny was his friend. but he never got nervous around any of his other friends.  So, he just smiled at Ginny very quickly in response and then turned to yell at Silas,

"Silas, we are going back!"  Harry yelled.

"Alright, you sure?" Silas yelled, turning to come in as well. 

"Positive." 

Harry and Ginny lied down on their boards and let the next wave that came push them all the way to the shore.

As they carried their boards to dry sand, they saw Ron and Hermione a little ways away still playing in the waves.  Harry wondered that if Silas did know somebody from England, the only people who were after him there were Voldemort and his Death Eaters.  And if Silas was in a league with them, then who knows what could happen to him and his friends on this dream vacation.

"Ginny, let's keep this our secret.  I don't want to worry Ron and Hermione.  They need this vacation."

"If that's what you think is best, Harry." Ginny said, looking straight at Harry with beautiful eyes that he had never clearly seen before.  

"It is.  At least for now."  Harry couldn't look at her anymore.  It made him feel a little dizzy and he still had to carry a big surfboard under his arm.  

As they were laying their boards down in the sand, they saw Charlie running up the beach toward then waving something in his right hand.

"Harry!  Harry!  You've got to see this!"  Charlie shrieked.  As he got closer, Harry and Ginny could see that Charlie was laughing his head off.

Ron and Hermione heard Charlie's shouts from the water and picked up their boards and began to walk over to Harry to see what the joke was.

Charlie ran all the way to Harry, and then collapsed into the sand, panting and laughing all at once.  The thing is his right hand turned out to be an issue of _The Quibbler_.  _The Quibbler_ is and English Wizard Tabloid owned by Luna Lovegood's father.

"Harry, you never told me you were going to try acting!  Why did you come here?  What a waste of time!  You should have gone to L.A.! Ha ha!  You've got to read this article!" Charlie was still laughing.  Harry didn't get it, so he reached down and grabbed the tabloid from Charlie's hand.

Ginny peered over his shoulder as he read the headline

            _"**Harry Potter Ditches Dark Lord**- Harry Potter has decided to drop out of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to pursue an acting career in California.  Says close friend and former girlfriend Parvati Patil, 'Harry didn't tell anyone he was going to drop out.  He didn't want to draw to much attention to himself.  But when I heard that he was in _California___ for the summer, I knew that he wouldn't be coming back.  He always had a flair for drama and it seems like the acting bug has finally bit.'"_

Harry was stunned by this first paragraph. How could the newspapers have gotten it so wrong?  How could Parvati lie like that?  He looked over at Ginny, who looked up at him, with a mischievous smile on her face, "It's not true you know, none of it." Harry said.  "I know."  Ginny said, "But, still, I want to read more."

            _"Many people wonder what will happen to __England__, now that the only boy who lived has relocated.  So why did Harry give up on what had seemed to be his destiny? Dumbledore, Harry's former headmaster was not reached for commentary, as we pretty much knew that he would deny all of these rumors, and where is the fun in that? So why did Harry suddenly decide to leave? We asked instead Colin Creevey, a devoted friend to Harry to give us confirmation instead, 'Harry must have moved to California to be with his new girlfriend, American pop singer Kindora Poppe (singer of hits like Broomstick to Heaven, Muggle Lovin'__, Some Kinda Spell__, and Love Potions_,) She told him that he either had to move to America immediately or it was over.  The long distance thing was killing them'"  __

"I can't read this anymore" Harry said, as he hand the paper to Ginny, who looked disappointed at not being to finish the article.  It continued on to say that Harry was having trouble at his auditions because nobody wanted to cast a boy with glasses and a prominent scar.

Ron and Hermione reached the group and read the article over Ginny's shoulder.  Ron burst out laughing just as Charlie had done.

"Man, this magazine is awesome!  Charlie, I didn't know you subscribed!" on shrieked

"Yeah, I like to keep in touch with English culture, ever since I got kicked out. Anyway, that's a long story."

"Ron, this magazine isn't awesome. It's telling horrible lies about one of your friends!" Hermione looked sternly at Ron as she said this.

"I'm sorry Harry.  But, I mean, we all know that its trash, so I just thought I'd laugh at it.  I mean, come on, Kindora Poppe, that's pretty good.  At least they didn't hook you up with Ogdine Nordster" Ron patted Harry's shoulders.  

Harry smiled at this.  He knew it was crap.  Everybody else did.  So what's the problem?

"Come on, Harry, lighten up.  You're on vacation!"  Ron had just said the magic words.

Harry laughed a little, then he met Ginny's giggling face, and then they both burst out laughing, then Hermione had to join in too.   It _was pretty silly.  _

"Harry, I knew you were some sort of celebrity back in England, but you must be pretty hot for them to bother making up such stuff just get a story about you." Charlie said when they had all settled down a little.

"I never thought of it like that."  Harry said, "I've never had the mindset of a celebrity."

"Well, California will change that pretty quickly.  I ought to take you guys up to L.A.  You could have a lot of fun, Harry."  Charlie said, "Most people are suckers for Europeans.  And especially one's with accents, like you guys."

Harry was laughing as they all planned his meeting with every celebrity in Hollywood, muggle and magical.  Harry completely forgot about his suspicions of Silas.  He was on the other side of the world form Voldemort.  It was sunny and the water was beautiful.  He was surrounded by gorgeous people on the beach, his friends included.  How could he let himself think of such a gloomy topic on such an afternoon?


	8. California Cheese

"I think I'm done surfing for today." Hermione said as the conversation, which had shifted to ways of getting Harry into all the L.A. night clubs, was exhausted.  

"But the camp still goes for another hour."  Charlie said.

"I think I'm done with this camp.  I can learn to surf on my own."  Ginny said.

"Me too," said Harry.

Ron and Hermione looked a little confused.

"But why do it yourself, this camp provides the boards and an instructor." Hermione said.

"Eh, sometimes trial and error is the only way to really get it.  You just have to get out into the water as much as possible.  That's how you learn; persistence.  Oh, and I have extra boards in the garage.  They are a little beat up, but that just makes them look cooler." Charlie was talking and digging a hole with his feet in the sand at the same time.

"Hey, Charlie, before we arrived, the lady who gave us our travel plans told us that you might be able to get us some driver's licenses.  Is that true?" Ron had been waiting all day to ask that question.  

"Well, not legally of course.  Muggles are in charge of the road rules here.  And to get a license legally takes at least six months of practice before you turn sixteen.  But, since I am not a muggle, I could work the system.  If that's what you want.  It can be dangerous though.  I only have a muggle car.  Those don't dodge sign posts the way wizard cars do.  You have to steer around everything."  Charlie explained.

"I don't mind.  It'd be more fun to have to steer yourself. And I could do it. I've been in plenty of cars before.  My dad's obsessed with cars.  I flew one once. Harry can vouch for me.  And I flew it quite a long way.  And we are both still alive!" Ron exclaimed, obviously very excited.

"Yeah, but you did hit a tree."  Harry reminded him.

"But I was so much younger then.  I could handle the pressure much better now." Ron justified.  He was hoping to be one of those people you see in the movies who are speeding along a coastal rode in a convertible with the wind whipping through their hair and the music blasting.  Something about that open air speed was appealing to Ron's sense of adventure.

"Alright, Ron, I'll get you a license.  But you gotta promise that you'll listen to me when I teach you how to drive.  And you have to promise that you will not wreck my car.  It's not a real luxurious one, but it is pretty tripped out." Charlie looked Ron straight in the eye.

"I promise.  But hey, I'm not the only one who's going to drive.  Right, you three will learn with me?"  Ron looked around at Harry, Hermione, and Ginny, all three of whom were listening to the conversation.

"Duh!" Ginny shouted.

"Of course!"  Hermione confirmed.

"Driving! Yeah, are you kidding!"  Harry agreed.

 "Of course you all do.  I forgot.  When you are a teenager, everything is about driving.  You think walking is for people who can't drive and bikes are people who don't have cars."  Charlie smiled.

"Well, not so much in the wizard world, but If I were a muggle, that would sound about right!" Ron said, smiling at an image of him driving along the coast, looking cool with Hermione singing along to radio from the passenger seat.  He couldn't wait to make _that dream come true.  Ron shook his head and glanced quickly at Hermione, who was looking very good today, and banished those thoughts form his head.  He didn't really like Hermione.  It was just that she was very pretty, and smart.  And that she is always helping him and can cheer him up.  But even if he did like her, thinking of that made him blush, Hermione doesn't like him.  She is chasing after Vicky Krum._

"Well, I think I'm going back to house." Ron suddenly lost his desire to hang around the group. 

"You can't go!' Hermione grabbed his hand.

Ron stopped moving and looked straight into Hermione's eyes.  "I just don't feel like staying."

Hermione was taken aback.  She had never seen Ron look at her like that.  It was so confusing.  Was he angry?  No, because there was concern and caring in his eyes, but oh, there was something else there too.  Hermione was shocked to find that she didn't understand this.  For once, she was stumped.

"Well, then neither do I.   Ron, I'm coming with you." Hermione said as she caught up with Ron, who had stared walking back already.

"Hermione, why would you want to come?  The fun is happening on the beach. That's where all the pretty boys hang out."  Ron had raised his voice a little.

"Ron!  Stop it!  Why are you picking a fight?! All I wanted was to go with you!" Hermione was yelling now too.

Harry and Ginny were used to their fights.  They didn't take as much notice as Charlie, who was absolutely shocked at the pain Ron and Hermione were causing each other. 

"I don't understand you, Hermione!" Ron shouted, and then still in an upset tone, he asked, "Do you still write to Vicky?"

"Where did Krum come into this conversation?  Ron, you leave him out of this, this is about you and me!"  Hermione huffed.  She was angry, but not the usually sort of anger she had towards Ron.  It was frustrating, and exhilarating, and she didn't know what else.

"Well, you don't see me writing to any other girls!"  Ron shouted.

"Well, I didn't know we had an exclusive friendship!  Can I not talk to Harry anymore?" Hermione was getting more and more upset at Ron.  Why couldn't he grow up?  Why couldn't he ask her out already!  

"I meant a different sort of friend.  Not like Harry.  And I don't want to discuss it anymore."  Ron turned and walked even quicker towards the beach house.

"Ron, when are we going to talk about it?"

"I don't know.  It's not the sort of thing you can really talk about." Ron moved away from Hermione after he said this.  He couldn't look at her.  If he did, he didn't know what he would do.  

Hermione didn't follow Ron.  She didn't know what she would have said.   Instead she turned to walk back to Harry, Ginny, and Charlie.  All three of them had witnessed the fight, as well as several other strangers on the beach.  

"Well, its good you guys let it out.  Better out than in."  Charlie said, as he patted Hermione on the back.

"Well, there's still more inside that didn't get out.  And it's never going to get out unless Ron says it first!"

"Why does he have to start things?" Ginny asked.

"Because I don't know how to.  And I don't want to.  And I don't think Ron wants me to.  He should take charge of something; he should put himself on the line for me.  I'm always the one who rescues you guys with schoolwork and stuff.  I want to be rescued now, metaphorically.  You know, rescued from my troubled heart."

"Hermione, you are sounding pretty cheesy right."  Harry said.

"Harry!" Ginny shrieked.

"Well, you now, he's right, you are sounding pretty cheesy.  But you _are in California.  And California _is_ known for its cheese." Charlie said._

Hermione laughed at this.  She felt a little better. All she needed to do was to get in control of herself again.  She was scared because she had just lost control of what she was saying and feeling.  She didn't want that to happen anymore.  Especially in public!  The horror!  This sort of emotional spillage usually only happens on television!  Whoa, Hermione thought.  The California heat is getting to me already.

Ron was thinking as he walked back to house.  Thinking about Hermione, of course. Thinking about how to tell her. And why do people always have to use words to communicate?  Why does one always have to pick a word to express how he is feeling?  Why wasn't there a way to just let her know that he likes her; but he more than likes her. But he didn't think it could be love, yet.  Darn it!  Even if he knew every word in the dictionary, he still didn't think he could explain it.  Sometimes words just aren't enough.  Ron was getting frustrated.  His thoughts were telling him to just kiss her.  But that's no way to start things off, he told himself.  Or is it?  He already knew her, and maybe she'd like it. But what if she got mad at him?  Oh why was this so hard!


	9. No Crashes So Far

Well, the next day was much less emotional.  Or at least, their emotions were kept inside, and weren't spilling out over the place, and everyone was altogether happier.  It seems easier to temporarily forget about your troubles when you are vacation.

"Rise and shine little surfers!  Today you all are going to hit the road. And I don't mean that literally. I mean that you are going to start driving!"  Charlie screamed as he walked down the hallway from his room to the living room.

Ginny woke up from the sound of Charlie's shouts and mumbled to Hermione, who was sleeping in the top bunk, "Why do we have to drive in the morning?  I'd much rather cruise the streets at noon."

"Oh, just get up.  We're lucky that he's letting us use his car.  My parents have a car and they've never even let me back the car out of the driveway." Hermione said, much too cheerfully for that hour of the morning. 

The boys didn't wake up quite as promptly as Ginny and Hermione.  Ginny decided to start blasting the radio right outside their door after it had been thirty minutes and they weren't showing any signs of waking.  

It was nine o'clock in the morning when Charlie had managed to gather them all around his car.  It wasn't as bad as they had been expecting.  It needed a paint job, but what car didn't?  Anyway, it was a light blue Volvo station wagon.  "I got his car because I can fit my surfboards in it.  I wish I had a Woodie, though.  Now those things are cool.  All the old surfers had them."  Charlie said, as he ran his hand along the roof.  "No, but I put quite an engine in this thing.  Now don't get me wrong, it's still a heavy car, but I think it can move right next to those little Beemers on the freeway. Although, on hills, don't expect to go over twenty.  'Cause this baby ain't gonna top that."

Harry shot a very confused over to Ron, who was looking fascinated at Charlie's nonsensical car talk.  

"Anyway, why don't you all sit in the car, while I drive around a bit, just so you can see how it's done." Charlie said as he turned the key to unlock the door.  This car had come before those little clickers that unlock it for you.

Ron raced around the car, eager to get the front seat. He almost tripped over some loose junk in the garage on his way, "You know, Ron, next time just yell 'shotgun' then you don't have to run."  Charlie explained.  They all were settled in their seatbelts very quickly; Ginny got stuck in the back middle seat because she was youngest. 

"Ok, um, first you open the garage door."  Charlie was saying everything as he did it.

"Then you put the car in reverse.  You do this because you wan to go backwards.  Reverse means backwards.  Got that?  It's very important."  

They all said that they understood.

"Good now you take your foot off the brake.  That is the bigger one.  You only use your right foot. Unless, do we have any left footers?"

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Never mind.  It doesn't really matter."

It took a very long time for them to leave the drive way.  Charlie realized that he had forgotten to show them how to put the key in the ignition.

"Now that we've reached a main road, you need to make sure that you have pre-programmed the radio.  If you already have your favorite stations on easy to push buttons, then you can concentrate on the road instead of pressing the seek button.  This way, all you have to do is press 1, 2, 3, and so on to hear the music that you want to play."

Harry nodded at this.  He had never thought of that, but it _was a very important part of driving._

"Ok, you see the stop sign?  Now they will always be red.  I once saw a yellow on once, but it turned out that it meant something else.  Anyway, everyone says that you have to stop at these all the time, but really, if the intersection is empty and you don't see any cops, you can just slowly roll past them.  This way you can remain a cautious driver _and_ not lose momentum."

"Are you sure that's legal?"  Hermione asked.

"Well, no I'm not positive that its legal, but it sure is a lot faster."  Charlie answered.

Charlie drove around for about a half hour before he stopped in a high school parking lot.  It was empty because it was summer, so it was the perfect place to practice driving.

"Me first!" said Ron

He and Charlie switched places.

Ron put the key in the ignition, just as Charlie had shown him.  He then turned on the radio, and made sure that it was programmed to good stations.  The he started to drive.

Ron drove all over the parking spaces.  He tried to fit the car in one once, but then he gave up and decided to just do some donuts.  

As he was completing his fifth and final circle, Ginny was starting to complain of queasiness, the radio started to play a new song.  It was catchy, it was upbeat. It was definitely muggle music because the station was muggle.

"Ron, turn it up."  Ginny asked.

Ron did as she asked.

They listened to the rest of the song as Ron practiced parking again.

"That was Jeremy Titan singing his hit song, 'You Rock.'"  Said the voice over the radio.

"Wow, he sounds hot."  Ginny said.

"How can you tell?!  You just heard one song!"  Asked Harry, a little peeved at Jeremy what's-his-face for making such an infectious song.

"Well I don't really _know.  But most pop stars are good looking.  Not too many ugly people make it big in this business."  Ginny said matter-of-factly.  _

"But you don't have to be pretty to be a good singer." Hermione said.

"But you have to be pretty to get paid to sing" Ginny said, again sounding like the authority on music.  "Anyway, I'd like to meet him.  Harry, do you think you could arrange that when we go to L.A.?"

"No!  I don't know any celebrities!  Besides, that _Quibbler article was crap, remember? What about Dean?'  Harry asked, annoyed, but he wasn't getting emotional, remember that today is not an emotional day._

"Geez, just to meet him.  I'm allowed a celebrity crush."  Ginny said, wondering why Harry all of sudden cared about her relationships.   She then pretended to look out the window on Hermione's side, but she was really making sure her hair looked pretty in the glass reflection.  She didn't know why she cared all of a sudden about her appearance, maybe it was Harry's sudden mention of her boyfriend, she thought.

"Hey, Gin, Harry's a celebrity!"  Ron called from the driver's seat.  He still hadn't gotten the whole car in between the lines of the parking space.

"Ohhhhhh.  You're funny Ron."  Ginny said, succeeding at sounding very calm and sarcastic.

Harry was a little embarrassed and Ginny didn't want to admit to herself that she was turning a little pink, too.  How could he still make her blush?  Didn't she make herself stop that a few years ago?  She thought that it must be the heat in the car.  She reached over Hermione to roll open the window.  Anyway, nobody noticed Harry and Ginny's pink faces as this was the moment that Ron finally fit the car in the parking space.

"Wahoooo! Yes!  Take that you stinking parking space!  Who da man? Who da man? Oh! Yeah that's me!"  Ron was very enthusiastic over his triumphant driving.

"Great job, Ron!  It looks like next time you will be ready to try parallel!"  Charlie said.

Ron's face fell only slightly, "Alright, Hermione, it's your turn!"

The rest of the day was more fun than you'd imagine. They all took turns driving round the parking lot, and then around the town.  No freeways yet.  But when the windows are down, and the car radio is blasting over the sound of the wind, the car is zipping along a road with the best ocean view imaginable, no too many things seem important enough to worry about. 

They stopped for lunch at In-n-Out Burger. They had never tasted such a good burger anywhere in England.  Charlie said that there wasn't a better place in California either.  

As they sped away from In-n-Out, Hermione was at the window seat with her arm hanging out of the window and her hand moving along with rushing wind.  Ginny was yelling over the wind and radio to tell Charlie to change the station until he found one that was playing Jeremy Titan and Ron was sitting next to her yelling at Charlie to listen to anything but that.  It was Harry's turn to drive and he found that being behind the wheel was almost as exhilarating as Quidditch.  Not nearly as fun, but it was still an adventure trying to not get pulled over; Charlie hadn't given them drivers licenses yet, nor had he really given them many useful legal driving tips.

"Wow, you four did great today!  No crashes so far!"  Charlie said, beaming at his little driving students.

"Thanks, Dude!  I really thought I was in for it back at that red light, but I realized that it meant 'stop' just in time, didn't I?"  Ron said proudly.

"Yeah, you sure did.  Hey, is that the first time you ever called someone 'Dude'?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," Ron said.

"Well I'm proud to be the first."

They drove home and got their bathing suits on again, not to surf this time, but just to play in the ocean and get used to the waves.

The four of the suppressed the urge to giggle as they saw each other in bathing suits again.  They didn't know why.  It wasn't really funny; it just was so different from Hogwarts robes that it was like seeing different people.  Harry's bathing suit was still the ugliest of the bunch, but Ron was still too scrawny to look great in his, but he was starting to look more relaxed in it.  In fact, Ron's new confident smile made the lack of muscles seem less important.  Hermione was looking tanner than she did yesterday, but Ginny was as alluringly pale as ever.

It was a lot of fun to let the waves wash over them.  After being in the car all day, they really needed to feel the refreshing wideness of the ocean.  
  


Dinner was grilled cheese sandwiches; it was the only thing Charlie felt like making.  Besides, grilled cheese after an ocean swim is really good.

But they all went to bed very excited because the next day Charlie had promised to take them to Los Angeles. 


	10. Harry, Ginny, and J Tite

"Move it, Ginny, your head is blocking the Hollywood sign!"  Ron said as he shoved his sister aside.  They were driving down the freeway and Ginny was sitting in between Ron and the car window with the best view. 

"Don't push!  I'll move on my own!"  Ginny bickered back.  Ron and Ginny were not really angry with each other, but siblings fight sometimes just to let out energy and excitement.   

"Don't make me come back there!  I got a long distance owl from your mom yesterday and she told me to keep an eye on you two!"  Charlie shouted over the noise of Ginny and Ron fighting position.

"Harry, have you thought anymore about Kindora Poppe?  How are you going to meet her?"  Hermione asked, half jokingly, half actually curious.

"I haven't really though about it.  But I think I'll have my people give her people a call."  Harry said sarcastically.

"But, dude, you are going to try to meet her, right?" Ron asked, "You don't let a tabloid story like this go wasted."

"Ron, I don't know.  I'm not even that interested in meeting her.  I barely know who she is.  And she's probably never heard of me.  And if we do meet, then that will only fuel more stories, and I don't want to be in the public eye anymore.  This is my vacation.  I wanted to get away from the stares." 

"But…" Ron tried to say

"Ron, drop it." Hermione interrupted. And Ron said no more on the subject for the rest of the morning.

Charlie drove around a lot until he found parking.  They all were eager to get out the car after a two hour drive.  But Ginny was the most eager to leave.  They had parked in front of a music store and Ginny rushed immediately inside.

"What are you doing, Ginny?" asked Hermione as she unfolded the star map they had bought a few street corners back.

"I want to see what Jeremy Titan's cd looks like!"  She called as she disappeared inside.  Harry shut his car door and determinedly followed her in.  He wanted to see what this Jeremy guy looked like.  

Harry found Ginny staring a large cardboard cut out of a young twenties guy.  There was a sign next to him over a large display of cds that read, "Buy Jeremy Titan's new cd, _J Tite, now and receive a free _J Tite_ baseball cap!"_

"So that's the guy who sung that song we heard all day yesterday." Harry scoffed at the cardboard picture of him, "What do people see in him?"

"Are you kidding.  People see an amzing singing talent wrapped up in a very nice package.  Don't you see it?  J Tite is the da bomb!"  
"Da what?"

"Bomb.  You know.  It's really in the hizzo.  A rapper was saying it on a radio interview yesterday.  Weren't you paying attention yesterday in the car?" Ginny said, while attempting the rapper hand motions.  You know, that two handed inward flick of the wrist.  Not many people can do it.  In fact, I'm not sure that _anyone_ really looks cool like that.

"No!  I didn't listen to that stuff!"  Harry laughed.  He had never seen Ginny act so free and goofy before around him.  The Weasley's had always told stories of how Ginny never stops talking and how she can be real lively, but this was Harry's first glimpse into that other side of Ginny.  She was being hilariously entertaining.

"Anyway, I can't buy it now, even though the baseball hat deal ends tomorrow.  I just don't have the bling bling."  Ginny said.

"What?!"  Harry laughed.  She couldn't be serious.

"Bling bling.  You know money, diamonds, luxury, all that wealth.  The bling! Oh come. _on_! I'm just trying to blend in.  I'll bet everybody in California talks like this."

"Right.  I'm sure too.  But hey, do you really want that cd?" Harry asked, looking directly at Ginny's pretty face.

"Yeah.  I love him." Ginny replied, with mock seriousness, disguising the fact that she really was a sucker for the pop music.  It's just so darn catchy…

  
"I'll get it for you.  It'll be a present."  Harry said.

"I can't let you do that.  It's really ok.  I'll get the bling from somewhere else." Ginny said, now very embarrassed, both about the money and about the way she had been acting.  She had always kept this side of her form Harry.  She had always wanted him to see her a serious person, not as Ron's goofy sister.  But now she loosened up.  "What the heck, he doesn't like me anyway," she thought, "oh yeah, and neither do I.  I almost forgot about that."

"No really.  You can't refuse a gift." Said Harry, glad he could do something for Ginny.  

"Thank you. Really." Ginny said, and she meant it.  She looked at Harry with such kind eyes that he would have bought her every cd in the store if she'd shown any interest in them.

"I really do like her," Harry thought as he carried a copy of _J Tite_ to the cashier.  "Am I being to obvious? It's too bad I only found out now.  It's a little late for this I guess.  Why didn't I notice her before, Ginny is _way prettier than Cho, and ten times nicer…"_

When the pimply muggle cashier scanned the cd, a bell went off inside the store that made Harry momentarily stop thinking about Ginny.

"What?"  The pimply clerk said, hitting the cash resiter on the sie to see what happened.

"Stop hitting that!"  Said the manager, "That bell means that this cd is the winning one.  The person who buys it gets to meet Jeremy Titan!"

"Oh Wicked!"  Shrieked Ginny.

"Yeah, congratulations!  Here is the information packet.  You can call his publicist and set up the appointment."  The manager said, handing the packet to Ginny, not Harry, because she really seemed to be the one that was into it.

Harry was happy to see her so happy.  And yet a little jealous that she was so worked up over a guy that she hadn't even met, and had only known about for a day.  

"Oh, Harry!  This is wonderful!  Really a dream vacation!  Thank you!" Ginny threw her arms around him.  Harry was surprised by this sudden hug, so he only managed to pat her back lightly before she pulled away.  But in that short moment of togetherness, Harry felt all the little resentment towards Ginny float away.  

They waited a moment longer in the store for the clerk to put the cd in a bag along with the complimentary baseball cap, and then they raced outside to tell Ron, Hermione, and Charlie the good news.

They had a really fun time walking along Venice beach and seeing all the crazy people and stores.  "Who knew muggles could be so weird?" Ron observed.

Ginny had found a pay phone (Charlie didn't have a cell) and called Jeremy Titan's publicist.  To Ginny's delight, Jeremy was in town that day, and was free for a quick meeting at around four o'clock at a Los Angeles In-N-Out.  

So, at three o'clock, Ginny insisted that they all wait outside the restaurant for him, in case he came early.

Of course he didn't come early.  Jeremy showed up at 4:30.  Everyone was pretty ticked off with Ginny for making hem waste over an hour of their L.A. time, but she was so delighted to see him, that they couldn't' begrudge her this, not now at least.

  "Hi, I'm Jeremy Titan" he said as he walked to sit next to Ginny at their table.  Ginny had given his publicist a description of herself so Jeremy could recognize her, "Thank you, Jenny, for buying my cd."

"Oh your welcome! It rocks!  I listened to it all day.  And I'll listen to it all of tomorrow. And I'll listen to it when I go back home." Ginny said, not bothering to correct his pronunciation of her name.

"Yes, you do have an accent. Where are you from?  Australia?" Jeremy asked her, looking at her with his practiced look of intense interest. Ron snickered at Jeremy's mistake.  Hermione smiled too. Harry would have found it funny, but he was hanging onto every word of the conversation.  He was getting an idea.  

"No, actually.  I'm from England.  The four of us are English.  Charlie is our American guide for the summer."  Ginny said.  Her eyes were just glazed over, she was so caught up in his famous blue eyes that she didn't notice Ron and Hermione's giggles.

Jeremy only stayed to chat for about fifteen minutes.  He had started to attract a crowd of paparazzi and fans.  But, before he left, he gave Ginny a lock of hair from his head.  "I want you to keep this, Jenny, and remember our wonderful conversation, because I know I will."  Jeremy said, with a perfect wink.  

Harry looked eagerly at the lock of hair that Ginny now held possessively in her hands.  "Hey Gin, could I see that for a sec?"  Harry asked,

"I guess you could, but give it back."  Ginny said.  She was very protective of this personal gift from a muggle superstar.

Harry took it carefully from her.  He pretended to be interested in the dirty blonde color.  But he pocketed a few thin strands. He'd need those to complete his plan.  And the more he thought about what he wanted to do, the quicker he wanted to get started.


	11. Tired of Waiting and Wanting

They lingered around the table after Jeremy Titan left, excited after meeting with a superstar.

"Do you think he liked me?"  Ginny asked.

"Of course he did!" Charlie said, trying to keep the mood lively.

"Are you kidding?  That was all just a publicity thing."  Hermione stated matter of factly.

"How could it be publicity?  He didn't have us take any pictures with him."  Harry asked.

"I forgot to take a picture!!!!!!"  Ginny shrieked, clapping her hands to her forehead. 

"Don't worry Ginny.  He probably had paparazzi take the pictures for him.  This way he ends up in the newspapers as a nice boy having lunch with some fans." 

"So you think I could cut a picture of us out of a magazine?" Ginny asked, momentarily pausing her sobs.

"Uh huh, but that wasn't really my point."  Hermione said.

"Nobody cares about your point Hermione.  I just met Jeremy Titan!  If I were a muggle, I probably would have fainted by now. He is _that_ cute and famous!  I am going to frame this hair he gave me.  I wonder if that is a muggle tradition.  It seems old fashioned to me."

"I think he just wanted to be romantic." Hermione said.

"So you think he likes me?" Ginny asked

"He only met you for fifteen minutes."  Ron said, making fun of her.

"It was love at first sight!" Ginny ignored the insult. She knew it wasn't really true, but she wanted to believe it.  She has never had a romantic vacation before.  She hadn't seen Dean in a while, and she was getting a little lonely.  Ginny was not as tight with Harry and Hermione and her brother was.  She felt like a fourth wheel sometimes.

"Ginny, you can't honestly make yourself believe that!" Harry asked, trying to figure what was going on in her heart.  Does Ginny really like that kind of man?  That conceited jerk who only talked to her because she bought his cd.  Harry clutched his pocket where he had put the stolen strands of Jeremy's hair and thought, "I better be wrong about this."

"It's my vacation and I'll do what I want." Ginny said.  She had meant these words to put an end to this love talk.  But Hermione had been staring at Ron when Ginny said this.  Ginny's words caused Hermione to have a huge epiphany about what she was doing sitting on the other side of the table from him.  She should just ask him already!

"I need to use the restroom.'  Hermione said, now staring meaningfully into Ginny's eyes. 

Ginny looked at her, confused and said, "Oh, alright."

"Would anyone like to come with me?"  Hermione said, now standing up from the table and still looking at Ginny, and now motioning her head towards the door.

"Oh.  Yes.  I have to go as well."  Ginny said, finally getting it.

Ginny and Hermione went inside.

"Well, boys, I wonder what they're saying about you." Charlie said in a sign song voice.

"What do you mean?  I thought they had to go to the bathroom?" Ron asked.

"Oh come on.  You didn't believe that, did you?  Now which of you does Hermione like?"

"What?!"  Ron shrieked.

"Ah, it's you, then.  I'd have thought she liked Harry.  He seemed to be more the more serious one out of you two.  " Charlie said.

"She doesn't 'like' either of us she's our friend!" Ron said.

"Don't keep telling yourself that.  You're missing out, Ron." Charlie said, "It was that way with my second wife.  We were great friends and I thought that was it.  But I figured it out eventually.  Wish I didn't though.  She turned out to be even worse than my first wife.  Nearly lost the house on that one!"

"You were married?  Are you married now?" Ron asked.

"No, actually, I'm between wives at the moment."

"Do you have any kids?" Harry questioned.

"One son that lives in England.  But that's a long story."

"Are you ever going to tell us about your life in England?" Ron asked.

"Well, definitely not today! But you never what tomorrow will bring."

"Um, Charlie, I've got a question on a different topic."  Harry said nervously.

Now back to Hermione and Ginny, who had made it safely to the bathroom.  Hermione leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

"Ginny.  Does Ron like me?  Honestly?"

"Honestly, I can't be sure, because we never talk about it.  But knowing him like I do, and just from observing I can honestly say that I've seen him more nervous or happier than when he's around you."

"Really?"  Hermione said dreamily. "When you said that thing earlier about doing what you wanted I just thought of Ron and me.  We'd never admit we liked each other at school.  It just never seemed to fit into out daily routine.  Oh but in California, everything seems different and possible."  
"But the other day you told me that you wanted Ron to make the move." Ginny asked.

"I don't want to waste my vacation waiting." Hermione answered, more resolutely than before.

"Alright then.  Whenever you say I can pull away Harry and Charlie.  Just don't tell me too much about it.  He is my brother." Ginny said. 

"Thank you.  I won't do it right now, but maybe a little later." Hermione said, "I'd like to give him one more chance to be the man and ask _me_ out." 

Charlie and Ron looked curiously at Harry.  "What could he want?" they were thinking.

"Is there a magic shopping district?  I need a potion pretty quickly."

"Well, of course there's a magic shopping district. This is L.A.  You can buy anything!"

"What do you want to buy, Harry?" Ron asked.

Just then Ginny and Hermione emerged from the restaurant door back the outdoor dining area that the boys were seated at.

"I'll tell you later," mumbled Harry.

Ron looked up at the girls, and wondered what it could be about.  Hermione looked at him with a daring glance.  "Daring?" thought Ron, "What does she want me to do?  Does this have something to do with liking me?  Why can't I figure anything out?"

Charlie stood up when he saw the girls.  "Is everyone ready to leave?"

"Yes," they all said.

"Alright, I don't want to drive back to San Diego yet, so let's do some shopping this afternoon.  The Wizarich district has every magical store imaginable"

Hermione and Ginny jumped with excitement over this announcement.  They raced off to the car, hoping to get started sooner.

Ron, turned to Harry, expecting to be told more about his secret purchase, but Harry deiced that he'd rather not let Ron know.  "It's not important, Ron." Harry said.

Ron shrugged, a little disappointed because he knew that whatever it was, it had to be very important.  But Ron also knew not to pester Harry when he was in questionable moods.  

So Ron headed off towards the car as well.  Charlie, however, pulled Harry aside.

 "What is this plan Harry?  Before I turn you loose in the Wizarich District, I'd like to know what you plan on purchasing.  I am your chaperone after all." Charlie asked. 

"Polyjuice potion. I want to see if they sell it ready made."

"Polyjuice potion!  What do you need that for?  You're Harry Potter!  People would like to turn into you!" Charlie asked, very surprised.

"I just want it for little bit." Harry said, shyly.

"Who are you going to turn into?"

'jeremytitan"  Harry mumbled.

"Sorry?  I didn't catch that."

"Jeremy Titan, ok! I want to talk to Ginny, ok" Harry said it a little louder this time.

"Why do you need to be Jeremy to do that?"

"Because she likes him"

"She likes you too." Charlie said.

"Not like that.  Not anymore." Harry was getting upset talking about it.

"So you want to do to more than talk to her?  Harry, that's a bad idea."

"I just want to kiss her once." Harry said, very defiantly.

"You can't do that, man.  It wouldn't be fair.  She'd never know you feel, she'd be thinking about Jeremy, who's never going to even remember her." Charlie said, sensibly.

"Well she's not being fair either.  First she likes me for all these years, and then one day she doesn't and she starts going out with other people.  I mean, she could have told me what was wrong with me!" Harry thought he had the hang of things.  

"Sounds like your fault.  Sounds like you should have paid her more attention.  Maybe nothings wrong with you, maybe she was just tired of waiting."

"But now I like her!  Can't she give me another chance?"  
"You shouldn't be asking me, Harry."

"I never asked you for advice anyway!  I'll only use the polyjuice potion to ask her about me.  To see if she likes me a little bit.  I won't try anything else."

"It's still not a good idea, Harry.  You still should confront her yourself.  Besides, when you are around a girl you like, you can't always tell yourself what to do."

"I don't care.  I'm going to talk to her.  I have the money; I'm going to buy the potion.  You just make sure she never knows it was me."

"There are other ways you know, to get her to notice you again.  You could call upo Kindora Poppe, make her jealous.  Jealously worked on my third wife."

"How many times have you been married?"

"This is about your problems, Harry, leave mine out of it." Charlie said, "And I'd advise you not to go through with it Harry." Charlie said, turning to walk towards the car.  Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were very impatiently waiting.

Harry didn't respond to Charlie.  It wasn't any of Charlie's business, he thought.  Why was Charlie advising him?  Sirius had done that, but he had been his godfather.  Dumbledore had helped him, but even he wasn't right all the time. No, Harry couldn't think of any living adult whose opinion mattered to him right now. But he didn't need any adult guidance anymore, Harry told himself.  He had lasted so far without it. Anything Charlie had to say was worthless.  Harry had to prove to himself that he didn't need 'parenting.' Adults couldn't help him.  

Harry reached the car and opened the back seat door.  Hermione had already called shotgun. He resolutely made up his mind to buy the polyjuice, turn himself into Jeremy Titan, and kiss Ginny.  He looked sideways and saw her putting on her seatbelt. The lingering doubt in his mind vanished when she turned her head a little towards him.  He could see her pretty face, her beautiful eyes, her red lips.  He wanted to do this.  


	12. Bust a Move!

Dude!  I've reached 10 reviews on this story!  You guys rock!  Thank you so much for reading this, it really means a lot!

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The five of them were bumping along the streets of LA in Charlie's blue Volvo.  Charlie swore that he knew where he was going, but Hermione was sure that they had driven past the same drug store four times.

"Are you sure you know where the Wizarich district is?"  Hermione asked, "I read in _101 Magical Places to Shop in LA_ that the entrance is at the back of a candy store called "The Sugar High" near Rodeo Drive."

"I know that.  I just don't quite remember where it is.  Its not visible from the street, remember?  You have to walk directly past it to find the door."  Charlie explained, doing another U turn.

"Then why don't you park the car and we'll start walking?"  Hermione said, wondering why Charlie was being so spacey.

"Oh, Great idea!" Charlie said, pulling into a spot.  

Charlie really had no clue where to go.  He had only been shopping there twice before.  Hermione sensed this, so she let her female shopping instinct lead her to mall.

"It's that way!  I can smell it!  And there's a sale going on!" She cried out.

They walked for only five minutes before Hermione led them directly to the candy store entrance.  It was a white building with black trim that materialized between two very high end boutiques. "The Sugar High" was very modern and sleek with colorful window displays.  To be honest, they had been expecting a run down building like the Leaky Cauldron in England.  Everything about this place looked expensive.

Ron ran up to walk next to Hermione.  "How did you know where it was, Hermione?"  he asked in awe.  

Ron opened the door for her and closed it behind them.  Charlie, Harry, and Ginny were walking far behind them.

"Instinct.  Ron, do you know what that is?"  She said mockingly, looking into Ron's bewilderingly cute eyes.  It was getting harder for her to remember what she wanted to say. 

"Um, yeah, I know what that is.  It's the little voice in your head that tells you what's right and wrong."  Ron said. He too was having difficulty looking in her eyes and thinking at the same time.

"No, Ron, that's your conscience.  Instinct is like a little impulse that you get that tells you what you should be doing.  You should trust yours sometimes see what happens."

Ron averted his eyes to look at a candy display.  It was dawning on him, but he was still a little nervous.  He wondered what would happen to their friendship if she didn't feel the same way.  What if he had misinterpreted her meaning?  What if he only believed this because he wanted to, not because it was what she meant?  But now he couldn't look at her without wanting to act on his trusty instinct to jump out and kiss her on the spot. 

"Ron, I mean it.  If you feel something, you should do it."  Hermione continued.  She didn't want to hint anymore, though.  She really wanted Ron to figure out that there _was_ something between them on his own.  She was also a little embarrassed that she had put herself on the line like that.  What if Ron had no clue how she felt?  Or worse,what if he really didn't like her?  Hermione was feeling a little sick thinking about that, she had to get away.  She couldn't be just friendly with Ron anymore.

But Ron got the whole message this time.  He looked at Hermione, who now had her back turned and was looking at a display of Oddballs, which was some sort of American chocolate candy that bounced around in your mouth.  "She really does like me.  I've got to go for it." He thought.  

Ron put his hand on Hermione's shoulder and, smiling, she turned her head to look at him. He was aware at how close they were standing together.  It took Ron a second to find words.   "Hermione, um…I, um…you are so beautiful, do you know that?" 

Hermione blushed; Ron had never called her beautiful before!  Was he kidding, did he forget about her bushy hair?  No, she banished those second thoughts from her mind, he means it!  He was finally going to ask her out!  She didn't talk; instead she waited for more of his words to come.

But as luck would have it, at that moment, Charlie, Harry, and Ginny walked into the store, laughing at some story Charlie was telling, "So then, I said, 'get your own turtle food…'" he stopped telling his story, disappointed that he had interrupted what looked like a very important moment.

Ron didn't continue speaking.  He was a little grateful for the interruption, because he was stumbling here.  He had no clue how to ask Hermione out.  However,  he  was mostly disappointed that he had been interrupted the first time he had the confidence to say this to Hermione.  He had been on a roll! So, both he and Hermione had very disappointed looks on their faces when they turned and saw them entering the store.

Harry and Ginny stared in amazement at what was finally happening for them.  Harry had his suspicions about Ron and Hermione, but unlike Ginny, he had never been told about it directly.  His two best friends!  Who would have put them together?  Where does that leave Harry?

Ginny caught Hermione's eye and winked.  She remembered her promise to help Hermione, and said, "Charlie, Harry, I am in a hurry to look at the Quadpot window displays at the sporting goods store.  I think we should go there right now."

"Er, ok, Ginny."  Harry said. He was eager to get away from the glares Hermione was shooting at them.

"Right, Hermione and Ron, you two can meet us later, when you are, finished, er, uh, buying candy."  Charlie said.

Charlie, Ginny, and Harry walked past Ron and Hermione, who were now pretending to read prices on various chocolate bars until they were alone again.

Charlie led Harry and Ginny into a room behind the display of Flying Fudge.  The room was completely empty.  The walls were bright white, just like the rest of the store.  The thing that made this room stand out was the fact that techno music was blaring.  They looked around to see where the noise was coming from, but the sound system was magically invisible. 

"Alright, now I remember this part."  Charlie shouted over the noise, "The way to get past the barrier into the Wizarich district is to dance. Once you've gotten your groove on, that wall will crumble."  He said, pointing to the wall opposite from the door they came in through.

"Alright, bust a move!" Ginny shouted, as she started to recklessly flail her arms around her and move her hips along to the rhythm.   

Needless to say, Harry found Ginny's uninhibited dancing very intriguing to watch.  He starting moving his shoulders to the beat, but he wasn't as enthusiastic about it as Ginny and Charlie.  He was too worried about looking stupid in front of Ginny.  He kept glancing at her nervously and he wasn't really focusing on his dance moves.

Charlie was busting out all his old disco moves.  Ginny and Charlie had their groove on. They were having so much fun, not caring what they looked like.  Harry was the only self conscious one.  After a few minutes with the barrier still sealed, Charlie said, "Alright, which one of you is not getting into the groove?"

"It's not me!  I'm having a blast!" Ginny cried as she switched from shaking her hips to jumping up and down.

"Harry, don't keep your feet still!  You need to loosen up or we'll never go shopping!" Charlie screamed, as he picked up from where he left off, doing the sprinkler.

"I'm trying!  I just don't dance well!"  Harry yelled over the noise.

"Well then just jump around like I'm doing! It's so much fun!" Ginny cried, "I haven't danced in ages!"

Harry followed their advice, and soon he was having a blast.  Flailing his arms and legs around like there was no tomorrow.

Soon they heard a great crash.

They stopped dancing and saw that one wall had completely crumbled.  As they climbed over the rubble, a voice from the invisible speaker said, "Welcome the Wizarich District.  Have a blast." 

"Oh I will!" Ginny shouted, to herself more than to anyone in particular.  Dancing was such a great way to get pumped up.  Ginny smiled thinking about how silly Harry looked while he was dancing.  Harry had never been particular goofy around her before.  He was always so serious.  "Harry, when you let go you got some nice moves!"  She called to him.

Harry, who was still bobbing his head to the beat, replied, "Not as nice as yours!" 

 Ginny laughed, thinking nothing more of his remark than the fact that it was both true and very nice of him to say.  "I should hang out with Harry more often.  He's a fun guy." She thought.

"That dance room! Such a great idea!  It puts shoppers into a great mood.  Happy shoppers buy more."  Charlie said.

Ginny and Harry didn't reply because they were too overwhelmed at the sight of a gigantic glittering main street that had opened up before them...  

Meanwhile, back in "The Sugar Rush"….

"Hermione, like I was saying before, you are so beautiful and smart, and um, well, we've been friends for a long time, and I really like you.  I mean, more than like a friend, and well, I was wondering if, um, you would like to be my girlfriend?" Ron said, very quickly immediately after Charlie, Harry and Ginny had disappeared from view.  He felt he had to say it quickly or he would lose his nerve.  

Hermione's eyes lit up and she threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.  She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Ron! Oh, Ron!  I thought you'd never ask!" Hermione whispered. 

"So, is that a yes?"  Ron asked, smiling, as he put his arms around her.  
Hermione was so happy.  Ron had asked her!  She wouldn't have to run away to library whenever she found Ron too irresistible. She wouldn't have to cry alone anymore when she was teased.  Ron would look out for her!  Ron would be there. "Of course it's a yes!"  Hermione said, right before she did what she had been waiting to do for so long.  

Hermione ran one hand through Ron's amazing red hair, and kissed him.   


	13. The Exchange

"Wow Ron, let's do that more often!" Hermione said as they broke from their kiss.

"Anytime, Hermione, it was my pleasure." Ron laughed.

"I'll bet it was!"  Hermione giggled.  They kissed again just for fun.

"So, um, we are supposed to meet up with Charlie, Harry, and Ginny.  They went ahead of us."  Hermione said, "They are shopping already!"

"Well, I'm not that great of a shopper, so if you want to skip that, we could just do something else."  Ron said hopefully.

"Well, no, I really want to have a look around. I'm not promising that I'll buy anything though.  Oh, this is like our first date!  Taking me shopping, oh how sweet!"  Hermione squealed.

Ron grumbled something under his breath.  

"What was that?" Hermione asked sharply.

"I said that this sounds like tons of fun." Ron said unenthusiastically.

"Don't worry; we won't shop the whole time." Hermione winked.

"Oh good! Because if shopping is all we do, this might not work out."

Ron and Hermione found their way to the white room with the dance music blaring.  The wall that had crumbled for Charlie, Harry, and Ginny had been magically restored.  

 "There is obviously some secret to getting these walls to move."  Hermione pondered out loud over the music, "I'll bet the music is part of the secret, too.  Maybe we have to find a number combination in the beats and then tap that on the wall 

"Whatever, Hermione.  I don't think that's it.  I'm pretty sure we just have to dance!"  Ron shouted back.

"We have to do _what?" Hermione yelled.  _

"Dance! Let it go!  Not everything is numbers and spells!" Ron said as he took Hermione's hand and started to twirl her around.

Hermione completely forgot about trying to crack some elaborate code.  Dancing with Ron was so much fun!  She got to touch him, she got to show off the booty shake that she learned from watching too much muggle tv.  Ron meanwhile, got to shake his head and let those short crimson curls on his head go wild!

They were quite disappointed when the wall crumbled. Even Hermione admitted to herself that shopping could never be as fun as dancing with Ron.

Ron gave Hermione another kiss before he started to clear a path through the rubble for her. 

"Ron, you are such a gentlemen, do you know that?" Hermione said, taking Ron's hand.

"Only around you."  Ron knew he'd get a kiss for that line.  And he was right.  

Meanwhile Charlie, Ginny, and Harry had been cruising through the stores, checking out the merchandise, and scoffing at the prices.

"300 Oggles!  What, are they joking?  That looks like a shirt from Dudley." Harry critiqued.

"Yeah, and I wouldn't wish those shoes on my worst enemy." Ginny sneered.

 "Will you two cut it out?  You've been fashion policing for 10 minutes already!  Get over it!"  Charlie said in a very exasperated tone.  He wasn't really annoyed though.  In fact, he was quite happy.  He was hoping that since Harry was getting along with Ginny so well, he might rethink the whole Polyjuice Potion thing.  But, just as Charlie was getting his hopes up, Harry pulled him aside while Ginny was closely examining a purple handbag.

"Charlie, do you think you could hang with Ginny now?  Tell her I went to buy gifts.  I saw a street back there that looked like it had suspicious shops.  I think I could buy, you know, 'it', there." Harry whispered.

"Harry, I don't want you to do this.  You two are having so much fun together, why would you want to leave?"  Charlie whispered back.

"Because I'm not having fun.  Do you know how hard it is to hang around with Ginny and not kiss her?  Besides, playing fashion police is not exactly a fun activity.  Shopping in general tends to get dull after about 30 seconds."  Harry complained.

"I feel for you man, really I do, but I think in the long run both she and you would appreciate it more if you just were honest with her."  Charlie said.

"I'll worry about that later.  It's vacation now. I don't have to think about consequences if I don't want to." Said Harry. 

"That's not true." Charlie counseled.

"I don't care.  I had a hard year.  I'm doing this for me.  And I don't need parenting. I've managed so far without it."  Harry spoke with finality in his tone that even Charlie didn't want to cross.  Harry was after all, a very powerful wizard.

Harry walked away from Charlie, over to Ginny who was now comparing the purple purse with a smaller green one.

"Harry, which purse would look better on me?" Ginny asked.

"The green one makes you hair sparkle."  Harry said, just before thinking, "oh my gosh, did I just say 'sparkle,' what is going on!"

Ginny gave Harry an unfamiliar look before checking both purses again.  "You know, I think you're right."

"Anyway, I'm going to go gift shopping, I'll see you later."  Harry said quickly.  He was eager to get away because he was feeling so embarrassed. "Sparkle!  What was I thinking!" he thought.

Harry rounded the block and was back on the main street, El Camino de la Ropa.  The street he wanted was La Mort Street.  He didn't want to ask for directions because he didn't want to admit that he couldn't remember where he had seen the street.  

Anyway, about 10 minutes later, Harry finally rounded the right corner and he was in the midst of unkempt dark stores on a crooked lane.  Everywhere else in the Wizarich District was very well kept and very upscale looking.  Harry was shocked and a little frightened to see such a shift in moods happen from rounding onto La Mort Street.  With a little sense of foreboding, Harry determinedly plodded along, peering into windows for any display of potions.

He found Mephistopheles' Magic Market about three stores down on his left side.  He was drawn to it because it seemed to be the most prosperous on the street.  The windows in this shop were not broken and the sign was not crooked.  It was still quite black and mysterious, but Harry didn't listen to the part of his mind telling him to run for it.

Harry opened the door with the gold painted doorknob and slipped quietly inside the store. 

"Welcome, sir.  My name is Mephistopheles.  Mephy for short.  What my I do for you?"  said a short old man with a bald spot on his head.  He was dressed in a brown robe and sandals. 

"Um, Mephy, I am looking for a potion."  Harry stammered out nervously.  Mephistopheles was giving him the creeps.

"You are going to have to be more specific than that.  I carry quite a wide range of products."

"Polyjuice Potion.  Ready made." Harry said, clutching his pocket where Jeremy Titan's hairs remained.

"Ah.  That's an interesting request from a boy of your age.  Would you like one with the hairs already added.  You know we just received hairs from the American Wizard President, though I can hear that you are British, you may prefer some of Mr. Fudge's.  And I do suggest you buy them fast as I do believe that will be our last shipment from him, he is getting quite bald."  Mephistopheles said with a slight sneer.    

"No, I've got my own hairs."

"Are you sure?  I could throw in a couple for a very reasonable price."

"No thanks.  I'm quite sure."  Harry was getting nervous.  Mehpy was scaring him.

"Well aren't you a strong boy.  I'll be right back with your potion.  How much would you like?" 

"Just enough for one hour, thank you."  Harry said.

"Oh don't thank me.  I'm just the middle man."  Mephistopheles said as he disappeared behind a curtain.  

He emerged a few minutes later, Harry had not moved at all.  

"You didn't want to look around?  I sell quite a lot of other things, you know.  But, since you seem anxious to leave, the potion costs 50 Oggles.  Though I dare say you'll be paying for this with a lot more than money." Mephistopheles said in his sinister tone.

Harry pulled the money out of his bag and quickly made the exchange.  He held tightly onto the bag with the bottle inside and left the store as fast as he could. He ran out of La Mort Street and slowed to a walk only when he was back among the crowds on El Camino de la Ropa.  


	14. Leather Pants?

Harry walked nervously down El Camino de la Ropa.  He had the feeling that everyone who looked at him knew what he had in the little shopping bag.  He felt that he had 'guilty' written all over his face.  He felt that everyone's eyes could penetrate his brain and read what he was thinking.  He had to get away from these crowds.  He had to get back to Ginny.

Harry couldn't use the potion while they were still in the Wizarich District.  Jeremy Titan was a muggle.  It would be too suspicious. So Harry had another idea of where he'd like to take Ginny.  He just needed Charlie to go along with it.  And, he needed Ron and Hermione to go along with it too, but Harry thought that since were probably a couple by now, they wouldn't mind being left alone.

Harry was also going to need a new set of clothes to wear while he was Jeremy.  He turned into the designer Wugmump Royale's shop on the main street.  It looked very expensive, but a sign on the window said "New arrivals!  Muggle Influenced Designs!"  Harry thought this store was destiny. 

The shop was the exact opposite of the ones on La Mort Street.  It was bright and cheerful.  Nothing was broken.  The employees were good looking.  

Harry shopped around for a while, admiring the clothes and the people.  He tried on leather pants in the dressing room, though that was pointless, he thought, because they were not supposed to fit Harry.  But he was curious as to how his butt looked in leather.  It looked pretty good.  I mean, after the shock of wearing leather wore off.  He decided to get a few sizes too big because he wanted to be absolutely positive that he could fit inside them.

 "Are you sure you want to buy that size?  I think it is a little big for you.  Not that you are small, but your behind would show up better in a little tighter fit."  Said a very helpful blonde store clerk named Gwendolyn as Harry approached the check out.

"No, I think I want the baggy look."  Harry said.

"Oh no you don't!  None of the magical designers are showing baggy pants this season.  That is strictly a muggle look!  And even they don't wear baggy leather!" Gwendolyn said, trying to sound sweet and helpful, even though she was truly appalled that a boy would want to buy those!

"Well, I still think this the size that I want."

She was fighting back tears as she rang up the pants.  Harry also bought a blue buttoned up shirt. He though the blue would look nice with Jeremy's eyes.  He didn't think he would need shoes.

Just as Gwendolyn was about to hand Harry over the bag of purchases, she shrieked, "Oh my conscience won't sit if you buy these!  Please, let me use some of my personal magic on them!  I can charm them to fit around your backside.  Or fit around anyone who puts them on!  A Resizing charm!  It's very complicated; I only just learned it, but Oh for the love of Gucci, _please let me charm your pants!"  Gwendolyn was urgently pleading with Harry.  _

Harry couldn't speak for a minute.  Her words could be taken _way out of context.  And in Harry's teenage boy mind, he was giggling like mad.  But Gwendolyn was a recent fashion school graduate and her youthful ideals just wouldn't let her allow a costumer to walk out with horrible baggy leather pants.  They just wouldn't work!  The fashion police would arrest him for making a public felony before he took three unfashionable steps!_

Harry had to regain control of his adolescent mind before answering. "Yeah, that would be great.  You can charm them if you want."

"Oh thank you!"  She said, pulling a wand out from a desk drawer.  She muttered, "Flatteranus!" and the leather glittered for a second before fading back to normal.

Harry was proud of his purchases.  He now that pants that he could wear while he was Jeremy and while he was himself incase Ginny showed any signs of liking the bad boy leather look he was going to try to pull off.  After all, there is no sense in dropping that sort of bling for just one hour's wear.  

Harry ran into Ginny and Charlie as he was leaving Wugmump's.  They were just window shopping along the El Camino de la Ropa.   Neither of them had the mega-money required for the stores on this street.

"Harry!"  Ginny called when she saw him exit the store; she had been looking at the display of formal dresses on dancing mannequins.  

"Hi Ginny."  Harry said quietly.  He didn't know what to say, or how to act around her. 

"Harry, I'm glad to see you again.  You didn't make any purchases, did you?"  Charlie asked meaningfully.  

"I bought something personal."  Harry said, averting his eyes to avoid Charlie's judging stare.

"Can I see it?"  Ginny asked.

"No.  Or at least, not yet."  Harry said, this time looking directly into Ginny's beautiful eyes.  Ginny liked it when Harry looked at her; it meant that she got to see those famous bright green eyes.  She had always been fascinated with his eyes ever since she heard the story of baby Harry Potter when she was a little girl.  She didn't understand why he hid them beneath glasses. She had heard of the muggle cure for four-eyedness, contact lenses, and she was sure that wizards could do better than that.  

Anyway, back to Harry and Ginny, staring at each others eyes. Harry was looking lovingly in Ginny's, but Ginny only stared back with fascination.    

Harry broke the connection because he thought that he was being obvious.  He was also getting impatient.  He wanted to drink the potion as soon as possible.

Ron and Hermione stumbled around the corner.  They were outside Wugmump Royale's about five seconds later.  

"We've been looking everywhere for you guys!"  Hermione said, breathlessly.

"Oh I'm so sure."  Ginny said, teasingly.

"No, really, we um, tried very hard to find you as soon as possible."  Hermione said, trying to sound truthful.

"So, are you two together finally?"  Ginny asked.

"HELL YEAH!"  Ron shouted.

"Hey, what happened to the gentleman?" Hermione said, with her hands on her hips.

"I said that I only did that around you." Ron said defensively.

They spent a very pleasant afternoon doing real shopping.  Ginny found some great bargains with help from Hermione's sixth sense.  Hermione certainly was going to need that extra suitcase she brought to fit all the things she acquired.  

They passed back through the barrier; you only had to say a password ("I'm Clothes-minded!") to get back to the Sugar High candy store.

It took them a very long time to find the car.  Not that a blue Volvo wagon was a common car, quite the opposite, most Volvos in LA were the new sporty kind.  

"Charlie, do you think we could go back to the beach for a little bit?  I'd like to cool off after such a long day." Harry asked as they piled in the car.  This time Ginny had called shotty.  Harry was stuck in the backseat, shoved to the side by Ron and Hermione who couldn't keep their hands off each other.

"Sounds like a fine idea, Harry. Hey, knock it off you two!" Charlie said.  Hermione and Ron pulled apart instantly.  Hermione would have felt embarrassed if Ron could have stopped looking so darn gorgeous for one second!  They spent the rest of the car ride stealing kisses whenever Charlie was busy yelling at some annoying pedestrian.  Harry and Ginny stared determinedly out the windows, not wanting to witness Ron and Hermione's displays of affection.  

They drove west and were very soon sitting in the sand, staring at the sun as it dropped closer and closer to the blue horizon. 

Ginny and Charlie left the group to take a walk on the beach.   Ron, Harry and Hermione remained seated.  It was a magnificent sunset.  Really; it was quite picturesque.   

"Harry, we don't want you to feel weird or left out because Ron and I are together.  Your friendship matters to us, and well, if we seem distant, I want you to let us know." Hermione said as they sat looking out at the waves.

Harry was startled to her Hermione speak.  His mind was completely elsewhere.  He had been staring out at the waves in the fading light, thinking of Ginny, of course.  

"Thanks guys.  I'm sure it won't be a problem.  You two just do what makes you happy."  Harry said honestly.  He _had_ been worried about things changing between the three of them.  He was worried that he would feel like third wheel.  That he didn't belong with the two of them anymore.  Hermione's words were reassuring, even if they were just words.

They sat in the dusk in silence.  Harry was still lost in his thoughts; Ron and Hermione became lost in each other.  Harry looked over at them and realized that it was time for him to go.

"Guys, I think I'm going to try to find a restroom and then maybe catch up with Ginny and Charlie."  Harry said, standing up, grabbing his bags of purchases.

Ron looked up at Harry.  He could tell something wasn't right.  "Do you want us to come?"

"No.  I'll be fine." Harry said.

"Harry, are you feeling alright.  You've been real spacey lately.  Is it because of Hermione and me?"  Ron asked.

"No.  Nothings wrong.  I'm just preoccupied."

Ginny was walking along the shore with Charlie.  

"So, Ginny, why didn't you want to stay with Harry, Ron and Hermione?  I mean, I'm honored that you're walking with me, I just want to be sure that everything is ok with you guys."  Charlie asked

"Oh no, we're fine.  I just wanted to give Harry, Ron, and Hermione some time alone together, to be a group of three again.  You know, they are really close friends, and I thought that Ron and Hermione would want to make sure Harry was not angry at them for getting together.  I sometimes feel like a tag along when I'm with them."  Ginny explained.  She always over-thought situations like this.  Her mind wandered sometimes to the point where she was convinced that other people were annoyed with her all the time.  It was like she sometimes found herself irritating, and so she thought that others did too.  

"Well, that was very thoughtful of you, but I don't think it was necessary." Charlie said, "I know for a fact that your company is never unwanted, no matter how close they are with each other.  You matter, too.  In fact, now that Harry is like a third wheel, you might be very helpful.  He'll probably need a friend to hang around with when Ron and Hermione go on dates." 

"I would love to help Harry, but I don't think I can always do that for him.  I've got a boyfriend, too.  When we go back to school, Dean will want to spend more time with me.  Plus I want to spend time with my school friends.  And Harry's never gone out of his way to be my friend, well I mean except for my first year."   Ginny found that it felt good to talk about her feelings.  Better than keeping her thoughts and emotions all mixed up inside.

"What happened in your first year of school?"

"Well, a diary was controlling me, and it nearly killed me.  Harry fought a snake and a spirit and saved me."

"Whoa.  How old was he?"  Charlie asked, amazed.

"Twelve, I think." Ginny said, looking out at the waves, thinking about how big of a crush she had had on Harry back then.

"Ginny, do this for him.  Not all the time, and when you get back to England, I don't know what you should do because I don't know your life.  But while you are in California, I think you would both feel better if you had each other to talk to.  It would stop both of you from feeling like tag-alongs, and it would give Ron and Hermione, a chance, to um, just be together more."  Charlie explained.  

He hoped that if Ginny was nice to Harry, then Harry might confess to her about his feelings.  Charlie hoped that what Harry was planning to do wouldn't ruin everything for him and Ginny.  But, hey, if Harry could save someone's life at age twelve, maybe he did know what he was doing.

"Charlie, you are _so right.  We have to go back to Harry right now!  I'll ask him to come surfing with me or something.  Do you know, I could have sworn I saw Silas, our surf coach, back at the Wizarich district?  I would have said something, but he isn't a wizard, so how could he have been there?  He used to give me the creeps.  He always seemed suspicious."  Ginny said. _

"Huh, we'll have to look into that one I guess."  Charlie said.

Charlie turned to walk back along the beach with her.  He wanted to make sure that Ron and Hermione were acting responsibly now that Harry had no doubt left them alone.    

Ginny was walking quickly; she really wanted to help Harry.  She thought that her desire to make sure Harry was happy must be lingering feelings of concern left over from her four year obsession.  She felt she owed it her former self to be there for Harry.

But just as her thoughts were filling up with Harry Potter, guess who Ginny should see walking towards her on the beach?  The moving figure was tall, the figure was a man, and the man was wearing…_leather pants?!  But Ginny was only fazed by that for about two and half seconds…_


	15. Blue Ocean Eyes

20 reviews!  That is just so completely AWESOME!   You guys are so nice and I feel so bad that it took me a while to update this; I had trouble putting everything into words.  This chapter just didn't seem to flow like some of the others.  But keep reviewing, next chapter I'll try to speed write.  

**********************

"Charlie!  Tell me quick, am I imagining him?!" Ginny 

Charlie looked at the young, handsome, blond man that Ginny was staring at.  So Harry actually went through with, Charlie thought to himself.

"Yes, Ginny I see Jeremy Titan, also." Charlie said, with no excitement in his voice.

"This is some sort of cosmic sign!  Could this be destiny?!  Two Jeremy sightings in one day, oh I don't believe it!"  

Ginny ran over to the figure of Jeremy Titan, who was now watching her run towards him.

Yes, it was Harry underneath that illusion.  And yes, he was the happiest he had felt in over a year as he saw Ginny laughing and racing towards him.  Harry felt free in the disguise.  He could say whatever he wanted with no consequences.  Ginny would never know that it was him.  Disguises and Illusions are wonderful in that way.  Harry could be himself entirely without having to worry about being judged.  

"Jeremy! Jeremy Titan!  It's me, Ginny!"  she shrieked.  Ginny stopped running two feet away from him.  Her red hair was blowing behind her in the ocean breeze.  The salt water spray had made her skin glow.

Harry felt his knees shake.  He couldn't do this.  How could he talk to such a goddess?  She didn't deserve to be tricked.  But Harry's desire to kiss Ginny won over his moral conscience. Ginny needed to find out that somebody else could care for her like Dean did.  She needed to feel something else.  

But Harry was feeling something else as he took a few steps in those tight leather pants.  He was going to have more problems than he had imagined. What was he thinking?  Leather on the beach?  Sand can get anywhere!  Oh my!  But he pushed aside his physical discomfort when he saw that Ginny was waiting expectantly for him to recognize to her.

"Ginny?"  Harry said.  (Of course, Harry knew who Ginny was; he was just playing a role.)

"We had lunch together!  I had bought the winning the cd, well actually, I didn't buy it, my friend Harry bought it for me." Ginny said, hopefully, waiting for Jeremy to remember.

"Ginny? Jenny!  Oh, so I had your name wrong!  I am so sorry.  Ginny really is much nicer."  Harry said, flashing Jeremy's million dollar smile.

"Oh you think so!" Ginny swooned.

"Of course I do. Although any name you had couldn't sum up everything that you are." 

"Aren't you sweet?!  But you hardly know me!"  Ginny said, giggling.  Jeremy was so charming!

"I know more than you think.  In my business, you have to have to be able to judge character pretty quickly.  Otherwise people can get close and take advantage.  I can tell already that you are kind, and smart, and that you care for friends."  Harry said, trying to make Jeremy sound wise.

"Huh.  That's so interesting."  Ginny said, not purposely ignoring the compliments, but her mind was going everywhere at once, that they just hadn't registered yet. "So what are you planning to do next?  Is there going to be another single after 'You Rock'?" Ginny asked hopefully, she wanted to get the inside scoop on Jeremy.  She thought it would be difficult to get muggle tabloids back in England. 

"Oh, I don't know."  Harry said, worried because he had hoped Ginny wouldn't ask him any questions.  How would he know the answer to that?  "But, um, I am probably going to make another album.  Do you think your friend Harry would buy that one for you, too?"  Harry was proud of himself for taking the awkward question and turning it into a way to talk himself up.

"Oh, Harry."  Ginny said, suddenly remembering who she had been running to find before she saw Jeremy. "I don't know what he would do.  It was sort of a spur of the moment gift for me.  But if you made another album, I would buy it myself."

"But I'm sure he would jump at the chance to get another nice thing for such a pretty girl." Harry said, stroking Ginny's cheek with his fingers.  This potion was awesome!  Ordinarily, he would never have dared to touch her.

Ginny blushed, Jeremy hands left her cheek hot.  "Oh, Harry doesn't think like that."  She said shyly.

"I don't believe it."  Harry said with a confident air, "Your delectable charm and pulchritude must have worked some magic on him."  

Ginny waited a second before responding; "Pulchritude" What the heck did that mean?  Oh what did it matter, Jeremy was still staring deeply into her eyes.  She didn't really care what he said as long as he didn't turn his pulchritudinous face away.  (Pulchritude means beauty, and it's my new word of the paragraph…)

"Oh that's nice."  She finally stuttered.  Damn, talking was getting so hard to do.  It was getting especially hard to pull out toilsome words.  How was Jeremy doing it?  It was like he has a planned speech or something.

"Ginny, you aren't listening to what I'm saying." Harry said, feeling suddenly powerful hiding behind the veil of Jeremy's likeness. 

"Is it really important?"  Ginny said.  She was feeling so delirious it was scary.  She has known Jeremy for one day and he is talking to her like he's known her forever.  Oddly, Ginny felt like she _had_ known him forever.  The way he was acting was so different than the pompous pop star he had seemed like at lunch.  It felt like obfuscation, like Jeremy was trying to confuse her so much that she fell completely into his control.  Although Jeremy wasn't really confusing her, she knew what she was feeling, she'd felt this way before.

 "You remind me of Harry."  Ginny blurted suddenly without thinking.  

Harry's face must have shown his fright because Ginny continued, "Oh no, Jeremy, it's really not a bad thing.  It's just that Harry is a celebrity, too."

"Oh really?  I've never heard of him," Harry said, thanking the stars that Jeremy really didn't know who Harry was. 

"Yeah, it's just a European thing." Ginny said, "Anyway, Harry doesn't like being famous."

"What's wrong with him? If I wasn't famous, you would never have noticed me."

Harry said, speaking from his own experience.

"Nothing is wrong with him.  The real reason you remind me of him is a little embarrassing."

"Oh, well now you have to tell me." Harry said, getting excited.  Ginny was thinking of him in the presence of J. Tite!  She was going to talk about her feelings.  He just couldn't wait. 

"I was drawn to him in the same immediate way that I was to you.  You make me feel just the way Harry used to. Just as awestruck.  I hardly knew him, just as I hardly know you.  I don't know, maybe I just like the mystery." Ginny said. 

"Do you still like Harry?" Harry asked, giving her Jeremy's sly grin.  

"Well, I have a boyfriend."

"But do you still like Harry?"

"I still like you." Ginny said, why did he care about Harry?  All she cared about at this moment was staring back at her with blue eyes. 

"I want to know about Harry."

"Why is this important?!"  
"To me, it is important.  Anyway, I like you, too." 

"But you don't know me." Ginny said, trying to hold on to sensibility.  Every other part of her body except for that one small voice was entirely lost in Jeremy's stare. 

"You don't know who I am either."  Harry said.  

There was a pause.  

"Well it seems we both like adventure."  Ginny said 

Harry took Ginny's hand.  Jeremy's hands were much softer than Harry's.  Harry could only imagine what Ginny would feel like in his own hands.  He felt like he wasn't touching her for real.

They just held hands for a while, staring out at the ocean.  Ginny began to wonder why Jeremy wasn't trying to kiss her, and she mentally kicked herself for wishing that he would kiss her.  

Harry was starting to sweat.  Would Ginny kiss a stranger?  I mean she seemed to be enjoying everything, but how could he really tell?  She wasn't like that… he needed help, advice, anything!  Why hadn't he asked Sirius how to flirt with girls?  Even Charlie might have given him tips!  He had gotten at least three women to marry him!  

Harry felt he needed to say something.

 "Are you comfortable here?  Or, um, would you like to walk back?"  Harry wimped out, "I don't want you to miss your group just to be with me."

"Oh, don't be silly."  Ginny said, slightly taken aback. "I'd like to stay with you."

"Oh good, I didn't know if you uh, were having fun."

"Oh, no, I'm really happy."

"Me too."

Man, for being a celebrity, he's really awkward, Ginny thought, as she stared at the pumping waves.  But that was only fault she found.  She was well aware that Jeremy was staring only at her, and had been for several minutes now.  He was just looking at her with his intense blue eyes.  Ginny wanted to see those eyes again.  But she had a feeling that if she looked into his eyes, he would surely kiss her then.  The only thing holding her back from holding his stare was Dean.  If she let him kiss her, she would cheat on Dean.  

But Ginny's heart was pumping.  She moved her stare from the beating ocean to his curvy lips, pausing for a second at his classic nose, and then looked up to his eyes.  She wanted to let him see the desire in her own eyes….She wanted to get lost again in Jeremy's deep blue ocean eyes… 

But Jeremy's eyes were green.  

It was definitely Jeremy's face.  But they were not Jeremy's eyes anymore.  Eeriest of all was that these bright new eyes were still giving her chills; these green eyes were giving her more than chills…

Harry's vision was going blurry, but her face so close.  When their eyes met, their souls seemed to connect, what would happen next was beyond control.  It wasn't the wrong thing to do, because if denying that emotion was wrong, nothing made sense.

Harry reached his hands out to Ginny's face and pulled her lips to his.  Harry came alive when he began kissing Ginny.  He ran his hands through her hair, and then slid them down her back, feeling her shiver wherever his fingers touched. He forgot all about his disguise.  Harry Potter was kissing Ginny Weasley.   

Shutting her eyes at the last moment, Ginny kissed him as she had never kissed Harry Potter.  She kissed Jeremy's lips, Harry's soul with all the passion she had ever felt for both.  She didn't know what she was doing.  His green eyes had told her not to think rationally; not to think at all.  Some sort of divine power was controlling her; it was telling her that this kiss was inescapable.  It was unlike any magic she had felt before.

The kiss deepened and deepened until Ginny pulled away.  Harry would have never left her embrace.

When the kiss broke, Harry's green eyes were still shinning onto Ginny's face.  Harry hoped desperately that Ginny would guess that those eyes led to his soul, that maybe she would kiss him again.  He wished so badly now that his face was not still Jeremy's.  It was not Jeremy that she had kissed.  Those shivers were from Harry; Ginny must know that!  But Harry couldn't bring himself to tell her.  How could he tell her he had tricked her so soon after that cosmic kiss?  He couldn't ruin the love she was no doubt feeling…

"I love you, Ginny."  Harry blurted before he could stop himself.  Oh, that was the wrong thing to say, Harry could see Ginny's wide eyes narrow a bit.  

"Thank you, but you don't love me." Ginny said, still breathless from the kiss.

"But didn't you feel that…that…_power?"  Harry pleaded._

"I don't know what that was, but I don't think love comes in bursts like that." Ginny's posture was stiffening. 

"How do you know?  All love is different! Besides, you don't even really know me!" 

"No?" Ginny questioned, her voice getting cool.

"No!  I'm not who you probably think!" Harry pleaded.

"I think I need to leave.  I don't want you to spoil that kiss for me."  Ginny said, turning from him

"No!  Please!"  Harry said urgently, if she left now she wouldn't know!  Oh but how could he tell her?  Why was she suddenly so angry?  Wasn't she happy at all?  He grabbed her wrist so she wouldn't move away from him.

"Let go of me." Ginny said, shaking her hand loose from Harry's desperate grip.

"I'm not Jeremy Titan!" Harry yelled.

"Then who are you?"

"I... I... I'm….."  Why couldn't he say it? "I'm…..in love with you!"

"Stop saying that.  Whoever you are, whatever that was, it wasn't love.  It was just a fantasy."  Ginny walked away and didn't turn around.

Harry's face returned to normal when Ginny was a half of a block away.  It was dark.  Harry was alone on the beach.  His blue shirt was baggy now, but his resizable leather pants still fit like dream.  


	16. The Worst Villain

            Charlie had left Ginny and Harry on the beach with the intention to go check on Ron and Hermione, but he thought that was unfair.  How could he allow Ginny to be tricked into kissing Harry and not let Hermione and Ron do it on their own accord?  

            So, Charlie had nothing to do for about an hour until Harry became normal again. A Mexican restaurant on the street along the beach caught Charlie's eye.  He was in the mood for burritos; or maybe a tostada, hmmm….

Charlie left the beach.  He was about to enter the restaurant "Jose y Jorge", but he decided to stop and shake the sand off his shoes.  Charlie saw someone exited the restaurant but he didn't pay attention to the man until his hand was muffling Charlie's screams and his other hand was pushing him into an alley.

"Where is he?  Where's Potter?" growled the man. 

"Mmmmmmmmmhmmm" Charlie tried to say, the criminal obviously wasn't very good at this sort of thing.  How was Charlie supposed to answer with his mouth covered?

"Don't mumble.  You know where he is. I saw him go into that restaurant, but he never came out.  I checked everywhere inside, I asked all the employees, I do speak Spanish fluently, you know." The man was talking in a broken scruffy voice.  Some words were spoken without a growl; it seemed that this guy hadn't gotten the evil voice quite down yet.

"mmmhmmm"  The man's hand was still covering Charlie's mouth.

"Anyway, the employees agreed that he came in, he went to the restroom, but never came out.  Don't say he fell in, now, Noooooo, I'm not believing that one again." The man continued.

"MMMMMMMMM!" 

"What? Oh, you want to speak, just a sec, I need to make sure you won't move." The man produced a pair of handcuffs and attached Charlie's wrist to a bicycle rack.  "Ok, one, two, three, go!"  The man said, as he jumped back from Charlie. The man had not worn a mask and the lights from the street made this tall thin man, with jet black hair and blue eyes, visible.  

"I don't know where…..OH it's you!!!"  Charlie screamed, 

"Ron, Ron, stop for a sec." Hermione said, rolling out from under him.  They still had their clothes on, this was a public beach remember.  Alright, Hermione had pulled off Ron's shirt, but that's allowed.  Ron wasn't looking or feeling scrawny now.  

"What? No one is watching." Ron pleaded, 

"No, I just… I don't know how to say it."

"Oh this can't be good."

"But it's not bad.  I'm just still worried.  You know, about whether Harry found Charlie and Ginny, we didn't' really see him go."

"You were thinking about Harry?" Ron said in disbelief.

"No!  Ron it's just, we should still look out for him."

"He's not a baby!  Hermione, we need to work something out.  Things can't be the same as they used to be.  That would kill us.  You can't know everything about Harry anymore because he can't know everything about us.  At least, I don't want to tell Harry about everything you and I do. If you and I are going to have a different relationship, than we need to keep some things private and you can't think about how it might affect Harry."  Ron said, 

"But don't you care how he takes this." Hermione pleaded, but she knew Ron was right.  Harry wouldn't care.  Harry probably had his own secrets.  And how had she managed to upset her boyfriend the first day they were together.  It pained her to see Ron upset, but she wouldn't give in.

"Of course, but whether he is ok with what we may doing shouldn't interfere.  Besides you went over this with him already.  And didn't he say like twenty times already that he was happy for us and that he'll be_ fine_?  Harry is not the type of person to be so mean spirited.  Can't you trust your best friend?" 

"But he's been so weird lately.  Didn't you notice?  I was just thinking maybe he's not really." Hermione explained.  

"Do you want to go find Harry?" Ron asked, staring into his girlfriend's pretty face.

"Yes." Hermione said.

"Fine."

Ron helped Hermione up from the sand.  "You are _my gentleman, Ron." Hermione whispered to his ear, trying to put Ron in a better mood._

"That's 'cause you're my lady." 

"Well, aren't you sweet?!"  Hermione laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, only around you." Ron smiled.  Hermione was extremely gorgeous when she laughed.  

Hermione bent down to pick up Ron's shirt, "Don't put this back on yet, I like you like this." She said, running her finger along his chest. 

"But, lady, I'll get cold!"

"No you won't." Hermione put her arms around him; they kissed and made up, and eventually started walking along the water.

Shifting our attention back to that frightening scene in the alley…

Charlie was horrified.  The man was giving Charlie very evil looks.  His eyebrows were perfectly turned, he was thin lipped and squinting.  

"Silas, who are you?!"

"Don't call me Silas. I have a new name.  It's, oh, hold, a sec, I wrote it down.  My dad sent me a list of suggested names.  I chose, 'Dudemort.' Mort means death you know.  In Latin, I think.  Death to the dudes."

"Are you kidding?"  Charlie said, wondering if Silas, the surf couch, was serious.  His evil glare must have been practiced because he was moving his eyebrows and he still was squinting as he spoke.  It was very scary, but only because Charlie didn't know what to expect, Silas was the worst kidnapper ever.

"Shut up!"

"No, you shut up.  Listen to me. What do you want with Harry?"  Charlie said, Charlie's voice was truly frightening.  

"Mind your own business."

"This is my business, you captured me!"

"Well I'm not telling.  You take me to Harry first."


	17. Harry is my Hero

Harry sat alone in silence on the sandy shore.  The waves washed up and wet his toes.  He couldn't move.  Stunned by the power of Ginny's kiss, broken by the coldness of her reaction, he was motionless, going over every detail of the evening.  Why had he told her he loved her?  Of course she would get scared. She thought he was practically a stranger.  But did he love her?  Harry thought, "Yeah, I guess I do love her.  If this isn't what love feels like than I'm more messed up than I thought."

The tide was coming in.  A wave washed up and wet Harry's toes and the hem of his new leather pants.  He decided to stand up and walk back to the restaurant where he had changed clothes.  He couldn't let Ginny see him in "Jeremy's" shirt and pants,

"What I am going to do next year," Harry's thoughts continued as he ambled down the shore, "I am going to have to room with Dean.  I'll have to pretend not to be jealous every time I see him breathing.  He gets to be Ginny's boyfriend.  Ginny knows that he likes her.  Ginny knows that she can count on him.  Oh and he gets to kiss Ginny for real!  I'm going to see them together all over school….Ugh!  Seeing Ginny, knowing that she kissed me!  She thought I was someone else, but _I felt it.  How can I ignore that all year?"_

But Ginny was a smart girl.  As she hurried down the beach, Ginny knew that something was wrong with the way Jeremy's eyes had changed, "muggle eyes, even magical eyes, just don't do that.  And how could they have changed into such a warm and familiar pair of green eyes?   How could….," she paused her thinking for a moment to reflect on the memory of that stare, "how could, Harry's eyes appear.  How could I _feel him, when I wasn't _near_ him?  Did I subconsciously want to kiss __him?  Was this whole fantasy with Jeremy really a mirror of what I wanted with Harry?  A big celebrity to come and sweep me off my feet…..Were Harry's eyes really a window to his soul?  Did Harry somehow appear inside Jeremy?  Now this is getting trippy." Ginny was snapped back from her runaway thoughts when she saw the unmistakable figures of Ron and Hermione coming towards her on the beach.  _

"Ron, Hermione?!"  Ginny shrieked, it was a confirmation of reality to see two familiar people again.  "I am so glad to see you two.  I was starting to get scared,"

"How come you are all alone?  How could Charlie have left you?  Weren't you two walking together?" Ron asked, concerned for his younger sister,

"Oh we were but then I ran into someone else." Ginny answered, grateful for her brother's concern, she was feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment, and was grateful that Ron and his brilliant girlfriend were around to help her.

 "And where's Harry?  I thought he would have found you two."  Ron asked.

"Maybe he found Charlie." Ginny said.

"Wait a minute, who did you run into?  Who do you know in L.A.?" Hermione asked.

"I saw, um, Jeremy Titan, I think."

"Whoa!  What are the odds?! I'll bet thousands of muggle girls would give anything just to meet him _once!" Ron cheered._

"What do you mean, 'you think'" Hermione said, not fazed by the celebrity excitement.

"Well, it was him, I mean it looked and sounded like him.  But he acted much friendlier.  It was like we had known each other forever.  And he sort of changed towards the end." Ginny reminisced; her eyes were not on Hermione anymore, but staring out at the ocean, recalling his face.  She was embarrassed to look at Hermione and Ron while admitting to acting like a star struck little girl.

"How did you act?  Did you, uh, you know, lead him on or anything?  Maybe you were the one that had changed."  Ron inquired.

"No, he was definitely different.  But I was too, I guess.   It sort of felt like…well, have you ever thought if you moved to a different school, you would be an entirely different person?"

"Uh, no why?"  Ron asked.

"Oh honestly, Ron.  Ginny we all think about that.  You feel that you act a certain way only because your friends expect it.  For example, if I was in a whole new environment, maybe I wouldn't study as much because nobody is expecting me to.  I could be the class clown and people would think that was who I am."

"Exactly, so when Jeremy came, I wished that I could the type of person who just, like, asks out the captain of the Quidditch team.  And I realized that Jeremy had no preconception of who I was.  For all he knew, I could be the most popular girl at Hogwarts.  It's embarrassing, but, um"  Ginny stopped talking, she couldn't say it in front of her brother.  So she leaned over and whispered to Hermione, "I sort of wanted to be a little slutty."

"WHAT?!!"  Hermione shirked.

"What did you say, Ginny" Ron asked,

"Don't listen to this, Ron, go walk ahead." Ginny shouted. Ron obeyed the look that Hermione gave him after initial protests.  When Ron was out of ear shot, Ginny whispered again to just Hermione, "I kissed him.  Well, he kissed me, but I sort of led him to it.  I don't know, I only thought about Dean for like ten seconds."

"Ginny, how could you kiss him? You had said that you weren't even sure that it was Jeremy?"

"Oh it looked like him.  He's really gorgeous.  But something else seemed to be pulling us together.  Some sort of fate thing.  I don't get it. Have you read any books about that stuff?"

"Ginny, fate is for wusses.  It's for people who can't deal with their own actions.  People make their own fates."

"No, but this was beyond my control." Ginny pleaded.  She desperately wanted Hermione's brains to figure the whole thing out for her.  

"Are you two done with girl talk yet?"  Ron called from up ahead.

"Yeah, we're done.  Wait up for us!"  Ginny called.  She and Hermione caught up with Ron and they continued on their way to find Harry, and hopefully Charlie was with him.

"I hope we find Harry.  He doesn't know his way around." Ginny said, sincerely hoping that Harry was not in danger.

"And neither does Charlie, though he won't admit it.  He doesn't know Rodeo Drive from a dirt road in Kentucky."  Hermione joked.

"Hey, do you think Harry met up with any celebrities, you know, maybe he and Kindora Poppe started a little somethin'-somethin'?" Ron joked.

"Why would you think that?"  Ginny said, sharply turning her head. 

"He's the only one without a girlfriend..." Ron said, putting his arm around Hermione.

Hermione smiled at this, and then whispered to Ginny, "Well, you also got a little kiss today, so that means Harry is the only one out of the four of us who didn't.  Maybe we should try to set him up." Hermione said to Ginny, not meaning for Ron to hear.

But Ron had good ears and he exclaimed "Hey, what do you mean, Ginny got something today?  From who?!"

"Ron, that was discussed during girl talk.  You missed out." Ginny said, turning pink.

"But that's not my fault!"  Ron said, lightly punching his sister on the arm.  He felt like he didn't know her today.  First she was chasing after a muggle pop star, and now she got an anonymous kiss!  And she had a boyfriend who wasn't Harry!  Ginny just kept growing up, and everything Ron had thought would be best for his sister seemed to be the opposite of what she wanted.

Finally, we get back to the dark alley behind the restaurant called "Jose y Jorge's" …..

Silas had cuffed Charlie to a bike rack and had demanded to be led to Harry.

"What makes you think I even I know where he is?"

"You'd be a lousy chaperone if you didn't, I could report you to the people who are in charge of this mug-magic vacation of theirs." Silas sneered,

"What do you know about mug magic?!   And how do you know about them in the first place, you are a surf instructor!  A muggle surf instructor!" Charlie exclaimed

"Oh I wish I were a muggle.  It would be a lot less embarrassing.  And don't you ask about how I know of them. My father gave me strict instructions not to tell." Silas said, pacing in front of Charlie. 

"Oh you are good at this.  So you learned from your father?  Who is he?  Is he English?  Is he a wizard, too?"  

"I said that you are not going to know that!  Now where is Potter?!" Silas was really upset now; he hadn't meant to give away as much information as he had.  This whole evil thing was harder than it looked.  

"Un-cuff me." Charlie said.

"No.  Tell me first." Silas said, and gave Charlie his most vicious grin.

"Alright!  I'll tell! He's at…… He's at ….Disneyland!"  Charlie cried out in mock agony.

"He's at Disneyland?  Very interesting. Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Silas said, very proud of himself.

"It was excruciating!  Oh, but please don't go after him!  It would ruin his day!  He had bee dying to go on Splash Mountain all summer!"

"Splash Mountain?  I'll be sure to look for him there.  Now, I'm not going to un-cuff you.  I don't want you following me.  So Farewell, Charlie, you have been most useful."

Later on…

Harry walked up to "Jose y Jorge's," the restaurant in whose bathroom he changed into Jeremy's costume.  He was about to pull open the orange and red painted door when he heard a familiar voice singing Jeremy Titan's hit single "You Rock" coming form the alley.

Harry was scared about what this music could mean, was Jeremy coming to haunt him?  His curiosity led him to peer into the alley.

Charlie was hand cuffed to a bicycle rack singing his heart out.

"Charlie what are you doing?"

"Oh thank Heavens, Harry, you heard me!  I was singing that so you would find me when you came to change your clothes.  But unfortunately other people heard me, too.  People must think I'm the town drunk.  Anyway, I'm tied here because Silas, your surf coach, caught me and asked where you were."

"Did you tell him?"  Harry asked nervously, he didn't really know Charlie and didn't know how he acted in stressful situations.

"Of course not.  I sent him to Splash Mountain.  He is such a doofus.  Honestly.  The worst kidnapper ever.  Although he said his father sent him, and now he's calling himself 'Dudemort.'"

Harry's heart stopped.  "What did you say he is calling himself?"

"Dudemort.  He says his father had sent him a list of suggested evil names."

"Did he say who his dad was?"  Harry said, he was catching on to the plot a lot quicker than Charlie.

"No.  But he must be a real nutter."  Charlie said." 

"Yeah, a nutter… hey Charlie, where are Ron, Hermione, and Ginny?"

"Well, Ron and Hermione were busy on the beach, and Ginny was occupied with you last I saw her.  I assume Ginny would have gone back to them, though."

Harry didn't say anything more.  His mind was too busy.  His wand was in his suitcase back in San Diego, and he wasn't allowed to use magic anyway.  But he wanted to get to Silas.  Silas would soon realize that Harry wasn't at Disneyland, and he knew where Charlie lived….

Harry was still thinking, "How had I done magic before I had wand?  I vanished a piece a glass at a zoo….could I vanish Charlie's handcuffs?  There has to be some magic left in me…."

"Uh, Harry, are you still with me?"  Charlie said after the long pause.

"Hold on Charlie, I'm thinking."  Harry said.  "Here, just hold still."

"That's easy enough." Charlie said, still hooked to the bike rack.

Harry stared at the handcuffs and wished that they would go away…. He visualized them floating away….

"How did you do that?" Charlie said, suddenly freed from the bondage.

"Magic.  Now come on, let's go find the others.  They wouldn't want to miss Disneyland."

Harry and Charlie ran out of that alley.  Harry was still wearing his Jeremy costume; he was too distracted to remember.  The leather pants still fit him nicely.  The blue shirt did not compliment his eyes as well as they had Jeremy's blue ones. But Harry's green eyes were so stunning that he needn't have bothered with a colored shirt.  And Harry was so buff; he shouldn't even have bothered with a shirt in the first place.   

Wand or no wand, fist fight or witch fight, Silas didn't stand a chance against Harry Potter.


	18. Bring it On!

25 reviews!  That is just so amazing!  I am sorry that this was a long time coming, but I have been just so busy with college apps and homework.  But your reviews mean so much to me!  Keep 'em coming!

*********

 "Hey Ron, Hey Guys!  We have to hurry; we have to go to Disneyland!"  Harry called as he and Charlie reached them on the beach.  He looked at Ron and Hermione urgently, but was purposely avoiding eye contact with Ginny.  He wasn't ready yet to see her.  He couldn't pretend right now to just be her friend.  He didn't want to lose control again. 

Ginny, on the other hand was eager to catch Harry's eyes.  She wanted to look at them and see if that power came back.  She hadn't noticed his clothes yet. It was dark on the beach, now, with only the moonlight to see by.  

"Disneyland!"  Shrieked Hermione, "Oh Yes!  I promised my parents that I would go there. They wanted me to see some muggle attractions! But why the rush?  Isn't closed already?"  

"Silas is going there!  Silas is after me!"  Harry explained impatiently, he wanted to go already!

"Silas the muggle surf coach?  What is he doing?" Ron asked.  
"He's not a muggle!  But then, he didn't have a wand, so I think he's just some crazy in-between."  Charlie said.

 "And I think he has connections to Voldemort." Harry said, now breathless with frustration.  

"But, Voldy's way back in England.  That's like, a long way.  It also was not a very comfortable journey.  He doesn't seem to be the type that gets out much.  He seems like more of the sit and brood type." Ron said.

"OH Ron, don't be stupid.  Voldemort gets out.  Voldemort is probably trying to break into the American crime scene.  I saw a movie about that once.  There was this CIA guy who was tracking down all these bad guys..." Hermione reminisced.  

"No Hermione, I think that was just a movie.  Let's focus on reality.  I think Voldemort has sent Silas to get _me_."  Harry said.

"But Harry, why are you rushing into danger?  You don't have your wand!"  Ginny said, urgently.  

Harry was touched by the  worry in her voice.  Harry wondered if that was more than friendly worry, but of course he didn't bring it up.

"Harry will manage, Ginny.  Remember, Silas is not the sharpest tool in the shed; he's not the brightest star in the sky…"

"No. Silas is not.  Sirius is the brightest star."  Harry spoke defiantly. "And I'm not letting Voldemort get away with sending other people to do his dirty work.   Voldemort is losing his touch; he thinks he can get rid of me with some idiot?  He should know that he is going to have to face me himself."  

"WOOOO!  Yeah! Well, I know I'm pumped up!  How about you three?!"  Charlie exclaimed.

"Yeah, let's get that fool!  We'll show ol' Voldy that he can't send some lunatic to kill us.  We deserve more respect than that!"   Hermione cheered.

"You guys may be rushing into a trap.  Silas might be smarter than we think.  He could have some secret weapon" Ginny said.

"Ginny, look at me."  Harry said, now feeling braver for having said such noble words.

Ginny most willingly did.  She looked straight into Harry's green eyes, still shining through is glasses.  

"Ginny, there are only two people in this world that can kill me.  Silas is not one of them.  And the other doesn't even know that she possesses the power."

"Harry, who can kill you?  Tell us and we'll get them!" Ron shouted.  

Harry was still holding Ginny's stare.  Ginny turned her head first to respond to Ron.

"I think we can guess that Voldemort is one of them.  If the other does not know, then let's not worry about her."  Ginny said, "Let's go give Silas a message to send back to his master."

"Spoken like a true Gryffindor."  Harry said proudly.

"Yeah, that sounds like a wonderful plan, and all, but Disneyland is not open all night.  I think we should try for the morning.  With any luck, Silas is setting up camp outside the ticket window.  So I am going to check us into a motel. I think we need some sleep so we can go over today in our minds before we fall asleep.  This was a big day for everyone."

"Yeah, I saw Jeremy Titan!" Ginny shouted, remembering her day, "Twice!"

"I got a girlfriend!"  Ron cheered before planting a kiss on Hermione's cheek.

"I got a gentleman!" Hermione said, smiling.

"And all I got was a madman chasing after me!"  Harry exclaimed.

"Yeah, so I guess you lose this round.  Maybe tomorrow you'll get some.  You really should look up Kindora Poppe.  She's cute.  And she's a celebrity, so she knows what you are going though."  Ron joked.

The mood walking back to the car was much lighter.  

"So do you think we will have to go on the Matterhorn after we beat up Silas?"  Hermione asked.

"No, I want to see the Actually Magical Kingdom first!" Ginny whined.  

"The what?!"  Harry asked.

"The Actually Magical Kingdom.  It is inside Disneyland, but muggles just can't get to it.  The roller coasters are supposed to be beyond belief."  Ginny explained.

"Are you kidding?  Nothing in the AMK compares to 'It's a Small World.'" Charlie said very seriously.

They rounded the corner and they could see the blue Volvo parked under a street lamp.

As they moved into the light, Ginny's eyes did a double take as she saw Harry's butt.

It was tightly wrapped in leather pants. 


	19. Think Fast

"Harry, what are you wearing?"  Ginny asked puzzled, she recognized the outfit as the one Jeremy had worn.  She did not want to think that Harry had something to do with that.  She did not know how he could have.  But the green eyes, and now the blue shirt and leather pants were all telling her things that she did want to believe.

  
"Yeah, Harry, you were wearing jeans last time I saw you. I didn't know you were into leather." Ron said, chuckling.  

"No, I uh, just bought them.  I thought they made me look, uh, hot." Harry said.

"Well, I don't know what illusion you were under.  Harry, they just don't _fit." Hermione said._

"No, they fit perfectly.  But, Harry, when did you change?"  Ginny said.  She was still confused, and her confusion was making her a little angry.  She never liked to be left in the dark.

"Yeah, you were not wearing leather when you left Hermione and me on the beach." Ron said.

"Yeah, when I left you two I went to have a look at some of the beach side shops.  This outfit sort of caught my eye."  Harry said.

"Yeah, but why did you change right then?  Couldn't you have waited?  And where did you put your other clothes?" Ginny questioned further.

Harry just remembered that he had left his clothes in the bathroom at Jose y Jorge's.  He thought he would just come back to change into it, but Charlie and Silas had sidetracked him. 

"I had spilled, um, juice on my other clothes.  It looked horrid. And I guess I left my clothes in the bathroom of Jose y Jorge's, where I met Charlie after Silas had captured him, right Charlie?" Harry said, relieved that he could connect his story to Charlie's.

"Yeah, Harry, Its good thing you were there.  Harry must have been coming out of the restaurant when he heard my yells, not going in, like I had thought."  Charlie went along with Harry, even though he felt bad lying to the rest of them.  But it was Harry who had gotten himself into this mess, and Harry was a strong kid.  He could work something out.

"Well, alright, but, uh Harry, can I talk to you later about why you chose that particular outfit.  For you know, fashion police reasons."  Ginny said.  She didn't want say anymore to Hermione and Ron, but she thought Harry had more explaining to do.

Charlie checked them into the seediest muggle motel he could find.  It was really very trashy.  He had booked two rooms, one for the girls and the room next door for Charlie, Harry, and Ron.

"Now I want you girls to lock your door. And do not open it.  Ever. Unless, of course it is one of us.  But we will say some sort of password.  I like passwords.  They remind me of my childhood.  How about 'Schwarzenegger'?" Charlie proposed.

"What kind of a word is that?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Schwarzenegger.  It's a name.  The name of the new muggle governor of California.  

"Do most governors have funny names in America?" Ginny asked.

"No, of course not!  But hey, don't be dissin' it.  Our governor could beat up your governor any day of the week." Charlie explained, as he sat down on the floor.  

"So, do muggles always stay in dumps like this?" Ron asked as he sat down on a holey chair.

"No, we are just being cheap.  Wizards can always use their wands to make a place more comfortable.  But muggles have to use their _minds!"_

 "You ought to meet my dad. He loves muggles. He thinks they are so cute."  Ron said.   

"Yeah, you should come visit us in England.  You would have fun!  Your accent would be even cooler there than ours is here."  Hermione added.

"I don't think I'll be rowing back to England anytime soon.  You know, what with being kicked out and all."  Charlie mumbled, staring at a cockroach creeping along the carpet.

"So, Charlie, what happened in England?" Hermione asked, "You keep bringing it up but you never explain."

"And how many times have you been divorced?" Ginny prodded. 

"Later girls, later.  I'll tell you the entire story after we beat the Silas.  The Sigh-Guy.  The Si-mister.  Si-o-nara…"  Charlie took to rambling so he could change the subject.

"Whatever.  I'm tired.  I'll see you guys tomorrow." Hermione said as she opened the door, "Ginny, are you coming to the room?"  

"In a minute."

"Alright, Goodnight, Ron" Hermione gave him a quick kiss and left to go next door.  Ginny turned to look at Harry, who was still guilty of wearing the leather pants.  

"Harry, do you want to take a walk?" Ginny asked.

"No, I don't think it's safe to wander off at night.  We might be in a ghetto..." Harry was digging for excuses.  He had not yet figured out yet how to explain it all to Ginny in a way that would leave her still wanting to speak to him.

"Well, alright.  Ron, you don't mind checking up on Hermione in her room for a little while do you?" Ginny coolly proposed.

"Not at all!" Ron said, enthusiastically running out of the door.

"And Charlie, do you think you could get me some water?  I saw a store across the street. I really want to try bottled water.  It is supposed to be so classy and so much more refreshing than tap water." Ginny swiftly proposed.

"I guess so Ginny.  You do look a little parched."  Charlie was glad that Ginny was going to confront Harry.  It had to be for the best.

"I _am parched!  Thank you so much." Ginny said with a plastic smile._

"Do you want me to come with you, Charlie?" Harry asked desperately.

"No, Harry.  I think you should keep Ginny company."


	20. I've Got the Power

The room was silent as Harry sat nervously down on the bed.  He could hear Ron urgently calling the password to Hermione: "Shartseeger!  No, Shartizoogen!  Oh come _on!  _Hermione, stop laughing and just let me in!"  

Charlie left the room and soon they could hear Hermione's giggles as she opened the door for Ron.  

Ginny turned to look at Harry.  He was looking a cockroach.  

"I saw Jeremy Titan again today, did you hear?"  Ginny asked coolly.

"Um, yeah I know."  Harry said, still looking at the floor.

"He has really brilliant blue eyes.  That shirt you are wearing complimented them very nicely."

"I suppose it would."  

"How did you get Jeremy's clothes?"

Harry opened his mouth to spit out a feeble lie, "I told you, I bought them in a store."  
"Uh huh.  And then you somehow you gave them to Jeremy Titan and bewitched him to say lovely things to me."

"That was not how it went." 

"So how did it go, Harry?  And why would you trick me?"

Harry couldn't think of another lie he wanted to tell.  He could drag it out so far, he knew Ginny would never trust him if she found out he had lied again.  Ginny's glare was killing him.  

"I didn't want to trick you it just seemed like the only way" Harry said directly to her face.  He felt more scared now than he had ever felt in the presence of Voldemort.  Voldemort had never looked so disappointed, so hurt.  Dumbledore had always said that love was Harry's greatest strength.  But right now love seemed to Harry's weakness, his undoing, the thing that made him feel so sick.  

"So you admit to planning some sort of charade.  What were you thinking?  How did you do it?"  

"I used Polyjuice Potion.  I bought it on La Mort Street in the Wizarich District.  I added Jeremy's hair from the lock he gave you at lunch.  I wanted to be Jeremy so you would kiss me.  That was all I thought about."

However Ginny had been expecting Harry to respond, it was not like this.  Harry was sitting silently on the bed, watching for her reaction.  

"So you planned this."

"Yes."

"And you wanted to kiss me."

"Yes."

"But you didn't want me to kiss _you.  You wanted me to kiss Jeremy."_

"It just seemed easier that way.  I didn't know how to tell you.  You have a boyfriend, and you don't fancy me anymore.  I just felt so desperate."  Harry felt a little better telling the truth.  But as he said his plan out loud, it sounded more and more stupid, and he felt increasingly embarrassed.

"I just can't even look at you, Harry."  Ginny was so angry and embarrassed.  Her thoughts clear, but her emotions were incomprehensible.  His green eyes bore into her like soul searchers.  Ginny didn't want to let his stare penetrate into the area of her heart that she had shut off to him.  She wanted to be rational.  Harry had hurt her.  She wanted to hurt Harry.  

Ginny had turned to stare out the window.  Red and purple roadside flowers looked black in the moonlight.  A car with a missing headlight just made an illegal u-turn.  She could feel Harry staring at her red hair.  

She had kissed Harry Potter today.  A secret dream from her childhood had been fulfilled and she wasn't even fully conscious of it. It wasn't fair.  Now he wants to bring up old feelings when she had moved on.  It wasn't _fair_.  He finally notices her when she already has a boyfriend.  _It wasn't fair.  He thinks he can just have a change of heart and she will immediately jump into his strong arms and bury her head into his toned shoulders, and then kiss his pink lips.  __It's not fair!  _

"And the worst part is if I had known it was Harry Potter under there, I would have kissed him anyway.   Such obfuscation! Ginny, you do not understand yourself so clearly!" Ginny thought.  _(I took that last part from Hamlet...Hamlet rocks!)_

"Ginny, I really did feel some power with you.  That was me talking through Jeremy the whole time." Harry didn't know how else to fill the deafening silence.  

"Yes.  And you thought that was love."  Ginny still didn't turn to look at him.   A pedestrian had just strayed from the sidewalk to walk in the gutter.  An oncoming car gave him a loud honk.  Ginny and the pedestrian were jerked out of a trance by the noise.  

"I felt love, but I think the power was more than that.  It was like my destiny.  My greatest strength is my ability to love.  It is why Voldemort can not touch me, why he can not possess me.  When I found out that I loved you, I just felt stronger.  When we are together, it's like my limits are pushed back.  I really think I need you to beat Voldemort, I need you to live."

"You have to beat Voldemort?"

"Yeah.  It ends with him or me."

"That sucks."

Harry chuckled at her understatement. "And you thought all I had to grieve about this summer was losing Sirius."

"Don't joke like that, Harry."  
"I won't if you don't like it."

Ginny turned to take a quick look at Harry.  He was still sitting up as staring at her.  She felt less angry at him now.  She was still ticked, but she was starting to unravel the mystery that had always been Harry Potter.  He was quite complicated, but she knew now that he thought he loved her.  Thoughts are powerful.  

"Harry I am still mad at you." Ginny said.  But if you have to say it, sometimes you really don't mean it. 

"I know." Harry was feeling sick.  He had been honest. Ginny had the power now.  He looked at the ground.  That darn cockroach was still crawling everywhere.   

"Harry, kill that cockroach."

Harry stomped on it quick and efficiently, very minimal spilled guts.

Ginny had a fleeting image of Dean as she saw Harry's sneaker hit the floor.  But she shook him out of her head.  Dean didn't belong here right now.

To realize that she could toy with Harry Potter, _the_ Harry Potter was amazing.  She could lead him on; she could keep him on the side.  She could make his life miserable.  "Why do I think such evil, mean things?"  Ginny thought.  Even her young female intuition told her that she could control Harry if she wanted.  He said he loved her.  He would do anything for her.  She couldn't look into his lovely green eyes anymore.  She turned back to window and they stared in silence.

"Harry.  I think I felt fate, too."  Ginny whispered.  She felt a little bad for poor powerless Harry.  He was so far gone.  She had nothing to lose by being honest.  She wanted to see where it went.

"Really?"

"Yeah.  After we kissed, I told Hermione that it felt like destiny.  She said I was a wuss."

"She thought you had kissed Jeremy Titan.  You thought you had kissed him too."

"Yeah. But something was funny.  I thought about you.  I was actually running to comfort you when I ran into Jere… when I ran into you.  I guess we both felt like we had to be with each other tonight."  

"I know you don't love me, but, will you go out with me?" Harry blurted.

"I already have a boyfriend, you know that." Ginny really didn't want to have to bring up Dean.  She liked him, but he was interfering with Harry Potter.  Not that she had admitted to liking Harry.  She just loved the switch: now he was obsessing over her.

 "Oh, and I guess 'absence make the heart grow fonder.'" Harry said with noticeable disappointment.

"No, I don't think I am any fonder of him than when I first arrived in California.  But he has given me no reason to like him any less."  Ginny thought out loud.

"But have I given you any reason to like him less?" Harry nervously asked.

"I don't know yet.  But, hey, thank you for being honest; I think I am going to go wait outside for Charlie to come back with my bottles water.  All this talk has made me really thirsty."  Ginny made a very quick excuse and fled to the door.  

Harry jumped up with his remarkable reflexes, and reached Ginny's left wrist before it could leave the room.

"Ginny, just so you know, I don't think I will be talking to you much more.  I still love you, but just when you don't respond to my feelings, it kills me, and I can't put myself through that, too.  So, um, just know that you still can go out with me, but I just can't be your friend anymore." Harry said clearly.

"What! I talked to you when I liked you!  That is so jerky!  Harry, how am I supposed to ever change my heart if I never see you?" Ginny 

"I don't think you need to change your heart, I just think you need to see what is going on."

"How dare you turn this around on me?!  I was supposed to be angry at you!  Now you go and give me a lecture!  That is so arrogant, Harry Potter!  When did you get so smart?  You have never had a girlfriend!  I am the second girl you ever noticed!  You think you are so clever because you can beat Voldemort!  You just shut up!  I will talk to you when I want to, and you will not be such a wimp!  You are so much better than this Harry.  Don't put yourself down to make things easier to deal with.  Stand up and act like a Gryffindor!"  Ginny finished her speech removed her wrist from Harry's weak grasp and slammed the door.    


	21. The Stupid Squib and The Can of Whopass

Charlie eventually gave Ginny her bottled water ("I don't get the fuss.  This is just a plastic bottle.") Ron eventually tore himself away from Hermione when Ginny started screaming the password and alarming the neighbors.  

Charlie and Ron returned to the room and found Harry lying on his back on one of the beds.

Harry wasn't crying, but he was about as close as boys can get to shedding tears.  

Ron tried talking to him, but Charlie interrupted him, "Don't talk to him now, Ron.  Let him think.  He needs to do some serious thinking.  Very serious.  This is an extremely serious…"

"Stop saying that word!"  Harry suddenly screamed, feeling worse than he had been before, if that was possible.

"What?  'Serious'?"  Charlie asked puzzled.

Harry didn't answer.

Ron pulled Charlie aside and told him urgently, "Don't mention his godfather's name anymore, you idiot."

Back in the girls' room, Hermione was trying to pry out the events of the evening from Ginny.  But Ginny was still fuming from her interaction with Harry.  Ginny didn't even want to think about Harry, let alone talk to Hermione about him.  

And in the back of everyone's minds was the prospect of going to Disneyland tomorrow, and the mystery of who was Silas and what would they do to him?

And it had started raining outside.

Charlie drove the blue Volvo to Disneyland early the nest morning.  Ginny rode shotty because she didn't want to sit in the back seat with Harry, Ron and Hermione.  Though all three of them were dying to talk to her.  Ginny, the outsider, the youngest, suddenly had the rest of the group anxious to see her next move.   

The entrance to Disneyland was not overly crowded, even though they had arrived just when it opened.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  The previous night's rain had ceased and now revealed a lush summer sum.  But none of their moods had recovered from the storm.    

"Do you guys think Silas already went inside the park?"  Ron tentatively asked, trying to just make conversation.  

"Probably.  I'll bet he's in line at Splash Mountain right now." Charlie said, as he sorted through his credit cards.  

They fell back into a heavy silence.

"Let's go to him now." Harry said defiantly.

"I think I would rather go the Actually Magical Kingdom first."  Ginny quickly chirped.  She did not address Harry as she said this; she seemed to be talking to Hermione and Ron only.  

"Guys, do you want to go the wizard part after we beat Silas?"   Harry addressed Ron and Hermione, too.  He wanted to look at Ginny, but couldn't.   He knew that she didn't want to look at him.  He felt so bad.  Silas would be like a punching bag.  He could let all of his frustration with a few good kicks.

"But don't you think we would get kicked out of the park for beating up on Silas?  I wouldn't want to miss out on any rides."  Ginny said, not letting her eyes flick to Harry.  
"You missed out on this one."  Harry blurted.

"Oh I did not, you big faker.  I've got a front of the line pass if I ever choose to use it."  Ginny said.

"Whoa.  I think we ought to go inside now."  Charlie interrupted.  

Charlie passed out their tickets.  Once inside the entrance, they were greeted by Snow White and Aladdin.  Hermione and Ginny shrieked.  Even Ron got a little excited.  Who doesn't love Disney?  Disney himself was a wizard, though he had soon found that the real money was made selling stuff to muggles. 

"Let's get a picture!"  Ginny whipped out a disposable muggle camera.  Charlie had advised her not to use a wizard camera because the majority of Disneyland was muggle-land.  

Harry was too scared to hurry her along.  He got in the picture with Snow White.  She was hot.  Aladdin scared him a little. 

Charlie was following the map to Splash Mountain.  "This way guys.  It is in Fantasy Land, no, wait, that is wrong.  It is in Adventure Land…"

"Oh give me that. You stupid Squib."  Hermione was in a pissy mood too.  She yanked the map from Charlie, read it for too seconds, and then "We passed it."

"Hermione, that was rude.  I am not a squib.  I can do magic." Charlie defended himself.  He did not know what to do anymore.  These teenagers were acting all moody.  What was up with that?

Somehow there was already a line for Splash Mountain.  The park had only been open an hour, tops.  They moved to get in line behind a tall, blonde girl dressed in stylish muggle clothes when they heard a taunting voice coming from a crowd to their right.

They whipped around.  Dopey, the dwarf, was walking towards Harry.  The blonde in front of them turned to watch.  Disney characters were supposed to be friendly.  

"I knew you liked Splash Mountain, Harry."  Dopey sneered.

Harry punched the Disney character hard in the stomach.  

The blonde was watching the fight intently, but nobody noticed her.  Nor did anyone else in the line seem to realize that a Dopey fight was about to break out.  

Harry kicked Dopey in the knees.  Dopey kneeled over.  Harry lifted off his Dopey mask and Silas's cold blue eyes stared up at him.

"Unfair! How did you know it was me?!"  Silas called from the pavement to Harry, as he towered over him.

"You stupid Squib."  Harry muttered, mimicking Hermione's put down.

"How did you know?" Silas shrieked

"What?!  You mean you actually are a squib!  That's classic" Ron yelled.

"Shut up you stupid boy!  My life has been cursed ever since I was born such a disappointment to my noble father." Silas said, trying to stand up from the ground.

Harry kicked him in the stomach hard, and Silas, in his Dopey clothes, keeled over again.

"AAugh! I am Dudemort!  You, aghh, shouldn't be able to kick me!  My dad told me you were just a stupid teenager!"  

"He was right about that."  Ginny muttered.

Hermione elbowed Ginny hard in the ribs.  "Whose side are you on?"

"Harry's." Ginny replied.

"Then don't make him miserable." Hermione warned.

Harry had luckily not heard Ginny's cut. 

"Well, looks like your daddy was wrong."  Harry taunted.

"My daddy is perfect!  He had a horrible childhood!  He was raised in a muggle orphanage!  But he showed them!"  Silas' eyes had glazed over a little.  He was starting to look even crazier. "My father became the greatest sorcerer to ever live…"

"Huh.  Now where have I heard that little story before?"  Harry joked.

"What do you mean?"  Silas moaned

"I mean that Voldemort is going to pretty upset to find out that his embarrassment of a son is writhing on the pavement in front of Harry Potter, wearing a Dopey costume.  Pathetic.  Voldemort has as squib son!  No wonder he never mentions you."  Harry could really use verbal torture when he wanted to.

"Don't speak that name!  How dare you!  My mother always told me that Daddy's business name should only be used by close friends!"  Silas spat out.

"Silas, I will make you a deal.  I will stop kicking you, for a while anyway, if you tell me about Tom Riddle's family." Harry said.

"Oh ok.  Sounds like a good to me.  I love telling this story, but I never get to.  My dad never mentions that he has a son so nobody ever comes looking for me.  It all started when Tom graduated from Hogwarts…."

"Excuse me?"  said an unfamiliar female voice near Harry's shoulder.

Harry whipped around and found himself staring at the blonde from the end of the Splash Mountain line.

"Yes?"  Harry asked her.   He was very attentive.  The blonde was gorgeous.  Her hair was of course unnatural, as was probably her boobs.   Ginny jealously watched the conversation.

"I am a witch, and I was wondering I could listen in to this story.  I had a cast a disillusionment spell over you guys when the fight began.  That is why the Disney Polive haven't arrested you.  I realized who you were and I really wanted to see what you were up to without muggle interruptions.  You are the Harry Potter aren't you?  My agent showed me a picture of you.  He said that you might like to perform a duet on my next album."  

"Who are you?"

"Oh, you don't recognize me?  I'm Kindora Poppe."


	22. Now THAT Makes Sense

THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!  I have over thirty reviews (thirty-one) now!  I would especially like to thank Stupid Girl of Cold!  Your enthusiastic reviews make me want to continue writing!  Again, I am sorry that I have taken so long to update.  My excuse is the usual:  school work and lack of time and inspiration. By the way, I recommend reading _Wuthering Heights_ if you have a month to spare.  The story is excellent but you have to read everything twice because the narration is really confusing.  

***************************

"Kindora Poppe!" Harry and Ron squealed simultaneously.   

"Yeah, people usually recognize me right away.  I did a concert in England a few months ago; I was in all the tabloids." Kindora's smile showed that she was amused, not angry at their ignorance. 

"We weren't looking properly.  As you can see, we were busy with Dopey."  Harry explained.  "And we really don't get much pop culture at Hogwarts School.  The place is out in the middle of nowhere."

"Really? I would love to tap into that school age audience.  You really should have your agent give my agent a call about performing together." Kindora said.

"I don't perform." Harry said.

Ron was hanging on to every word of the conversation.  Kindora was amazing.  Hermione was watching every move Ron made.  She understood that Kindora was famous, but still, Ron should close his mouth when he stares. 

"You don't perform?" Kindora was puzzled, "What do you do?  Why are you famous?"

Ginny was angrily eyeing Harry and Kindora.  They seemed to be getting along wonderfully.  Kindora was a professional:  she had practiced long and hard how to look interested in stupid things and how to hold 'intimate' conversations with interviewers and reporters.  

By the way, Charlie was rhythmically kicking Silas, just to make sure he didn't' get away.  

 "You haven't heard his story?" Ginny said; glad to make Kindora look stupid.

"Yes, he is an English celebrity trying to make in America.  A very common tale."

"No!  He is a hero!  He came to America to get away from his miserable life fighting Voldemort, the most evil wizard in the world!"

"Oh, I see. That does explain this whole situation a lot better." Kindora said, pointing to Silas, writhing on the floor in his Dopey costume.

"Yeah, and we were just about to hear Silas's story until you interrupted. Harry has real work to do." Ginny sneered.

"I am so sorry, Harry Potter" Kindora turned her attention back to Harry, much to Ginny's furiousness "I did not realize exactly who you were.  Wow.  A real live hero.  Harry, we really must collaborate now.  This could do so much for my career.  Introducing a hero to the American wizarding public, even Ogdine Nordster has never done that.  And she has done everything, if you know what I mean.  Skank-o-rama."

"Ogdine is ugly!" Ron blurted.  
"Thank You!" Kindora screamed, "Ogdine has been dissing my latest record!  My sales have fallen!  I absolutely hate her!" Kindora pulled Ron into a hug

"Hey!"  Hermione shoved Kindora away from her boyfriend.  

"Oh!  I didn't realize the red head was taken.  I really meant nothing by it" Kindora apologized.

Hermione was still glaring daggers at her.  "Where are your friends, anyway Kindora?  Why are you alone?" Hermione asked.

"I was supposed to meet my friends in the Actaully Magical Kingdom.  I couldn't find the entrance so I decided to try the muggle rides until I spotted some wizards." Kindora explained coolly.

"Why can't you find the entrance?" Ginny sneered.  She did not like the way Harry was looking at Kindora.  Harry was supposed to be hers.  Not that she wanted him or anything, but still, she did not want him to kiss anyone else the way he had kissed her.  

"It seems they changed the entrance to the AMK.  All you used to have to do was go on Pirates of the Caribbean.  No muggles ever used to go on that ride, so it took wizards straight there.  But then someone made a movie about the ride and now it is packed with muggles." Kindora explained.  

"Oh."  Ginny said, feeling a little shot down.

 Ginny was angry that Kindora's response was perfect.  She was angry at Kinodra's perfect hair, perfect body, perfect smile.  

Kindora realized that Hermione had been giving the same stare that Ginny was now.   "So you must be with Harry?"  Kindora asked Ginny kindly.

Harry looked at Ginny, he felt so bad that she felt bad; but at the same time, Ginny was jealous of Kindora.  Harry had put his heart on the line, he thought.  He didn't want to wait for Ginny to come around.  He needed to take some other action.  Hadn't Charlie said that jealously had worked on his second, or third, wife?  Harry looked at Kindora.  She was cute.  She was famous.  She would do.

"No. Ginny and I are not together."  Harry cut in.  Harry was not looking at Kindora as he talked.  Harry was staring at the red head who had been giving him hell.  "Ginny has a wonderful boyfriend.  His name is Dean."

"Well that's nice."  Kindora said.  "Harry and I are supposed to be dating.  You know, according to tabloids.  I just wanted to be sure that I wasn't getting in the way of anything.  I have a boyfriend by the way."

Harry looked noticeably disappointed.  Ginny smirked.

The silence was awkward.  Charlie was still keeping an eye on Silas.  Hermione was holding Ron, who was rubbing Hermione's shoulder.  Ginny's glare was even more hateful as she watched Harry blankly smile at Kindora.   

Hermione ended the silence, "So Silas, let's hear about Tom Riddle."

"Yes.  That sounds so wonderful."  Kindora said, for once relieved to have the spotlight taken off of her.  

"Is the disillusionment charm still working?" Harry asked, not wanting the infamous Disney Police to interrupt.

"Of course it is still working.  I use that charm all the time."

"Ok Silas.  So Tom Riddle disappeared after he graduated.  What happened next?" Ron asked.

"My name is Dudemort now, not Silas.  Remember?" 

"Fine.  Dudemort is a stupid name anyway."

"Well I thought 'Dudemort' was more intimidating than 'Voldesurf.'  Anyway, my dad was the best wizard when he graduated.  He had tons of job offers and could have basically gone into any field that he liked.  Well, the thing that he liked the most was torturing muggles…."

"Not surprising."  Harry muttered.

"…So he went to work for a traveling theater company.  They put on really horrible modern plays.  You know those one man shows with existentialist plots?  Well Tom wrote those!  Muggles came flocking to see it because he charmed the audience to make them think it was intellectual.  They would tell their friends about it and feel smart."  

"Tom created the one man show!  My parents took me see one in London once!  I nearly died it was so boring!" Hermione screamed!

"Yeah, you really feel like you are in hell, don't ya?"  Silas continued.  "Meanwhile, he had changed his appearance so the wizard community lost track of his whereabouts.  When the theater company came to do a show in Los Angeles, he met my mother."

"Was she a muggle actress?" Kindora asked.

"No.  She was a muggle circus performer.  The bearded lady."

"Eeeewwww!"  Squealed Ginny.

"Anyway, Tom was ashamed that he had fallen in love with a muggle.  He was very against that, you know.  So he would not marry her when she got pregnant.  Instead he left his career as a play-writer, left America, and went on about his business."

"You mean he went back to muggle killing instead of muggle torture?" Harry said.

"Yeah, something like that.  Anyway, my mother never mentioned my father; she never mentioned that he was a wizard either.  Turns out I did not have any magic powers so she really did not have to worry about me ever discovering my heritage.  In fact, the first time my father ever contacted me was early this summer."

"Let me guess: He wanted to tell you to kill me?"  Harry asked.

"Pretty much.  He said a boy and friends were coming to California.  He said that if I killed you, he would take me to a baseball game and play catch with me afterwards.  That was all I ever wanted from him you know.  I just wanted my father to love me!" Silas started bawling.

"Oh my gosh" Hermione rolled her eyes, "This is pathetic." 

Harry looked awkwardly at Charlie and Ron, looking for a clue as to what to do.   

"Well, Dudemort, it looks like your family is even more screwed up than mine or Harry's put together!"  Charlie said.

"And now that I did not kill Harry, my father will never love me!  He will be embarrassed of me!  Not only am I a squib, but I am a squib who can't even out-think a teenager!" Silas shrieked and then started crying again.

"Well, Harry is smarter than the average kid."  Hermione said.  Harry was shocked, that was a lot coming from Hermione.

"Yeah, Voldemort has tried to kill me loads of times and I am still kicking."  Harry said, though he was wondering why he was suddenly trying to comfort the man in the Dopey costume.  Five minutes earlier he was kicking Silas and enjoying it.

"You guys are just saying that to make me feel better."  Silas blushed as he continued to weep.

"No, honestly, Silas.  Your dad is a powerful wizard, but he has got nothing on Harry!"  Ginny exclaimed.

Harry was now blushing.  

Kindora spoke next.  "Well, now that we've stopped trying to kill each other, what happened next?"

"I think that Silas needs to put some closure on his relationship with his father.  Having a squib son would be very embarrassing for Voldemort, am I right?"  Charlie asked.

"Yeah.  I can't wait to let the news slip out once we get back to England."  
"Why wait until you get back to England?  I can cause a scandal right now if you want."  Kindora said.  "If I lift the disillusionment charm, I am sure the wizard paparazzi will come find me."

"What are you going to do to my dad?"  Silas weakly asked.

"Well, we are taking a new strategy towards killing him.  This time we will work from the inside out.  Words and feelings can hurt a lot, right Ginny" Harry said.

"Of course they can, Harry" Ginny snapped back.

"You are pretty good at making people miserable without violence." 

"Get over yourself!"  Ginny angrily 

"Come on Ginny!  If Voldemort can't beat me, how can Dean!" 

"Save that fight until cameras come!"  Kindora hushed them.

Ron had never seen Harry actively pursue any girl.  And now Ron had to watch him hang all over his sister.  "Hermione" Ron whispered "do you think Harry and Ginny know what they are doing?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione whispered back.

"Well, it's weird, Harry and my sister having all that sexual tension.  I don't know how to help them.  I want to side with my sister, but does that make me a bad best friend for not encouraging Harry?  And should they even consider dating each other?  Would they just make each other too unhappy?"

Hermione kissed Ron on the cheek.  "I love that you are sensitive!"

"But should I interfere?"  Ron asked again, stroking Hermione's hair.

"No.  You are a Gryffindor.  You are brave enough to let something leave your control." Hermione whispered.

Kindora had lifted the disillusionment charm.  Silas was now sitting up on a bench.  Ginny and Harry were still at odds.  Ginny was more than pissed at Harry's immaturity.  Harry was still infatuated with Ginny's hair, eyes, smile, feet, etc.  

"Harry, when the cameras come, they will expect that we are here together because of the Quibbler article." Kindora said.

"But don't you have a boyfriend?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but he is a muggle.  You wouldn't know him.  Anyway, we just have to decide which rumors we want to encourage and which we don't.  We can tell the public anything we want." Kindora explained.

"Well, I do not want them to think that you and I are a couple, because that is not true."  Harry said.

"Well, I was thinking, maybe it's not my place, but you seem like you could use some help, uh, wooing Ginny over there." Kindora said quietly.

"Oh" Harry was embarrassed that his childish antics had been noticed by a celebrity, "you mean we could make her jealous?"  
"We would have to be very coy so she doesn't realize we are completely playing her." Kindora said smiling.  

"We would have to make it real, but never really admit it." Harry understood.

"Oh good!  This is going to be so much fun!  It will be such great practice for when I break into acting!"  Kindora squealed. 

For the next twenty minutes, Kindora led Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Silas, and Charlie around muggle Disneyland.  She showed them "It's A Small World," and they walked along the Main Street stores.  

As they were rounding the corner into Tomorrow Land, they saw a flash of light.  Then they saw about five more flashes.  

"Those were the cameras!"  Kindora said urgently, "Do you guys remember what to do?"

"Yeah" they all answered.

Harry could see wizard-cameras poking out over the bushes.  He saw a couple of reporters walking over to talk to Kindora.

But Kindora was eager to get started.  She walked over to Silas and slapped him across the face.

***********************

(Whoa, I just re read this chapter and I made all the emotions between Harry and Ginny really confusing to understand.  So let's just say that I did that on purpose, and that it is confusing because that is how Harry and Ginny feel.  Confused?  Ok good, just checking.)


	23. Go Go Go

Sorry y'all for the LONG delay.  I got caught up in college admissions and senior year high school stuff.  Life gets in the way, what can I say.  I really hope my reviewers are still out there.  And if not, I totally understand, and maybe some freshies will find this story.  Anyway, I had forgotten how fun writing is, so hopefully now that I remember, I will write more often!

"How dare you threaten Harry!"  Kindora said as her hand left a red mark on Silas's cheek.  The paparazzi were crawling out of the bushes for this fight!

"Get out of my way!" Silas grumbled.

"No!  Harry Potter came all the way from England to have a nice California trip!  What do think you are doing?" Kindora questioned.

"My father, Lord Voldemort, that's V-O-L-D-E-M-O-R-T, sent me here to kill him!" Silas spat out with a really well rehearsed grimace.  He secretly wanted to be an actor.  But don't blame him; everyone considers acting as a career.  Most people just grow out of it by the time they are twelve.

"What!  Voldemort sent you to kill me?" Harry shouted, sounding stunned.

"Yes!  And I was so thrilled to carry out his orders because I am so proud that the most evil wizard in the world is my FATHER!" Silas answered back.

"Does your father often send you to kill his enemies?  Or was Harry Potter just too hard for him to kill himself?"  Kindora asked, putting her arm around Harry's shoulder.

Ginny and the paparazzi leaned in closer.

"No, this was the first time my father has ever contacted me.  He has always been too embarrassed of me!"  Silas said, hiding his face with his hands.

"Why was Voldemort embarrassed to have a son like you?" Harry asked.

"Because I am a SQUIB!" Silas shouted as removed the hands that were covering his eyes.  He swept his arms up and around,  over his head to put a little extra dramatic flair to his words. 

"OH MY!  Voldemort has a SQUIB SON!" Kindora pronounced.

"That is right!  My mother was a muggle."

The reporters and photographers surrounding Kindora could not hide themselves anymore.  People were jumping and cheering from the bushes.  "This story is worth the front page!"  came a cry from behind a lamp post

"How much do you think I could sell these pictures for?" asked one young photographer.

"Kindora can you slap him again?  I was out of focus the first time" said a brown haired photojournalist who was among the group approaching her.

Kindora looked over to the paparazzi as if noticing them for the first time.  "Oh hey there boys.  Long time no see.  I want you to put this in all of your little magazines, ok?  And try to print it in a few decent publications also.  It has to be believed." Kindora discussed with the men who actively photographing her.

"Yeah of course.  I write for the W.I.M.P.I Journal.  THE most respected newspaper.  This story will be believed" said a reporter.

"So Kindora, who is the black haired fella?  A new boyfriend?" asked another.

Harry looked to Kindora to lead the situation.  The others were being surrounded by various reporters asking similarly nosey questions.  

"Oh no, Harry Potter and I are just great friends."  Kindora smiled and winked at Harry.

"Hey Hey!  What was that wink for, Kindora?"  asked a man with a flower notepad.

"I did not wink." Kindora blushed 

"So are you guys just friends or friends with benefits?"  continued the man with a flower notepad.

Kindora just laughed, "Oh my!  What do you think?"

"Wow" thought Harry, "Kindora would make a great actress someday."

"Hey Harry Potter!  I hear you are some sort of celebrity in England.  Have you landed any American movie roles so far?" said a reporter wearing camouflage.

Harry didn't know how to answer to these rudely posed questions.

"Say something about yourself, Harry."  Kindora whispered.

"No, I am not an actor.  My work is a lot harder.  Like for instance, I recently exposed Voldemort's return to the English wizarding public." Harry said, looking at Kindora for more clues as to how to handle the reporters.

"Did you?  How boring.  Harry, tell us instead about your love life!  Are you and Kindora really just friends?  Its ok, you can tell me, you can trust me" said a reporter.  The physiognomy of these men's sneering expressions and hungry eyes made Harry certain that he would never trust any of these guys.  Harry looked around and saw that the lovely Ginny was angrily scolding a reporter.   Hermione and Ron were also trying to send away the flashing cameras.  

"My love life is none of your business!"  Harry called to the men who suddenly ceased to be wanted company.  "You already have a front page story!  Why don't you go home and write it!"   

"Why?  Is the famous Mr. Potter not up to the job of a being a celebrity?  If you are going to date Kindora, you had better get used to us!"  Chided a particularly ugly photographer.

"I am not trying to be a celebrity!  I just want you to stop harassing me and my friends."  Harry tried to speak rationally.

"Which friend in particular?  We are not harassing Kindora.  She is used to us.  Are you nervous for the bushy brown haired girl or the red headed girl?  And does Kindora know about you two?  Or is your heart aching for the red headed boy?  Is that why you and Kindora are not going out?"  said a man who's face was hidden by a flashing camera.

"I am not going out with Kindora!"

"Right, you two just stay in, huh? Huh?"  

Harry pulled Kindora's wrist after that last remark.  He led her over to where Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Charlie, and Silas were being surrounded.  "We need to leave.  I think you guys have enough for the papers tomorrow.  Voldemort's squib son won't be a secret anymore."  Harry told everyone in a commanding voice.  Then he turned to Kindora, "how do we get out of this mess?"

"Gimme just a sec" Kindora said, whipping her blonde hair out of her eyes.  She reached into her Jimina Spell red designer handbag and pulled out what looked like an ordinary muggle cell phone.  "This muggle invention is so much more convenient than sticking your head in the fireplace.  I gave one to my entire staff" She explained to Harry.  

Kindora spoke barely louder than a whisper to whoever it was on the other end.  But when she flipped the phone shut she loudly declared "All, right guys, we have to leave.  We have lunch r reservations The Binge-n-Purge in one hour.  We don't want to miss it!" 

Kindora led Charlie, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny out of the park.  Silas wanted to stay and get photographed.  His fifteen minutes fame was starting right now.   

"Kindora, why did you tell them where we were going for lunch?  We will be able to leave them for now but they will just meet us there."  Hermione asked.

"We are not going to eat at the Binge-Purge.  I just phoned my manager and he says that according to his sources, Ogdine Nordster is going to be there.  I just thought I'd send her a little present."  Kindora responded.

"So we are not going to have lunch?"  Ron said, sounding noticeably disappointed.

"How about we go to In-n-Out. That place rocks."

"We've already been there."  Ginny said, "We went in San Diego when we learned to drive."

"So?  It is California's finest; now in Arizona and Las Vegas, too." Charlie said.

"I don't know.  I sort of miss English food."  Hermione said.

"Are you kidding?"  Charlie shrieked, "when I got kicked out of England, my stomach was so relieved!"

"It's not just the food, Charlie" Hermione explained. "I want to go home."

"I thought you guys came to California so you could escape England.  Hermione, you wrote a whole essay about the worst school year ever.  When you guys arrived, it seemed like you never wanted to leave" Charlie said, starting to feel a little hurt.

"Well, a lot has happened since then and it is not just me who wants to go home."  Hermione said, nudging Ron in the ribs.    

"Yeah, I want to go wherever Hermione wants to go."  Ron said automatically.

The group had reached Charlie's blue Volvo station wagon, parked in the Bambi lot.  

"Well, there is not enough room for me in that, um, car."  Kindora said, looking at the dented muffler, "So unless you guys want to meet up later, this is goodbye."

"I want to meet up later" Harry said, he didn't think Ginny was quite jealous enough.  In fact, he didn't know what Ginny was thinking.  They weren't on the same wavelength anymore.    
"I don't want to meet up" Ginny said defiantly, "but thank you Kindora, for helping us expose Voldy's squib son."

"Why don't you want to hang with Kindora?"  Harry asked Ginny, with what he hoped was a blank expression on his face.

"Because Harry I am tired. Tired of this" Ginny said, her fiery red hair blowing in the wind.

"Ginny, tired of what?"  Harry said, stepping closer to her and trying to talk quieter.

"Tired of trying to make each other jealous" Ginny mumbled, playing with a strand of her red hair and avoiding eye contact.

Harry stood still, one step away from the fire.

"Ginny…"  Harry started to say, but his mouth was too dry.

Hermione and Ron were already seated in the car. Charlie was purposely standing, facing the opposite direction.  Kindora had given Charlie her cell phone number and was preparing to leave them, when she saw the tense positions of Ginny and Harry.  They were standing close to each other but not close enough.

Kindora started walking away from away from the car, but as she passed Harry, she whacked him on the back wither her Jimina Spell designer handbag.  The force of the hit from behind caused Harry to take a step a forward.  Ginny didn't step backward and so Harry's arms flung around her as he closed the gap.

Kindora gave him a little wink when Harry looked to see where the hit had come from.

"Bye Harry!"  Kindora cooed as she whipped her head around and walked away.

Harry didn't think any more, taking his courage from that little wink, he tightened his grip around Ginny and pulled her into a kiss.

This kiss had no disguises.  No leather pants.  Ginny had more of her senses with her this time, but she still didn't break away.  Ginny let her hands fly up into Harry's hair.  Though she had technically kissed Harry once before while he was under the poly juice potion, this time, they both knew what they were they doing.


End file.
